GREAT GEAR GUILD  EDITION MUST-HAVE

TOP TOOLS ROUTER BITS

Woodsmith.com Vol. 45 / No. 265

CLEVER JIG FOR

BETTER
BAND SAW
CUTS

All New
PROJECTS:
• Compact Hall Cabinet
• Router Storage Cabinet
• Drawing Table
• Gathering Table
• Marble Roll Toy
 ®

AN ACTIVE INTEREST MEDIA PUBLICATION

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Phil Huber

SENIOR EDITOR Erich Lage
ASSISTANT EDITOR Rob Petrie
from the editor
EXECUTIVE ART DIRECTOR Todd Lambirth
SENIOR ILLUSTRATOR Dirk Ver Steeg
SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Bob Zimmerman,
Becky Kralicek
CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATOR Erich Lage
Sawdust
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Chris Fitch
PROJECT DESIGN EDITOR Dillon Baker
The light from my garage shop is especially inviting during this darker
PROJECT DESIGNER/BUILDER John Doyle season of the year. Now that the holiday gift rush is over, it’s time to focus on the
CAD SPECIALIST/BUILDER Steve Johnson
SHOP MANAGER Marc Hopkins next set of projects — and maybe explore a different branch of the woodworking
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Chris Hennessey,
Jack Coyier tree. I’ve been dabbling in some carving projects. So I want to learn some new
skills there and add to my carving tool set.
I’d like to give special recognition to the design and shop team for this issue.

Woodsmith® (USPS 465-410) (ISSN 0164-4114) is published bimonthly by the Home Group of
Chris, Steve, John, Marc, and Dillon designed and built five beautiful and fun
Active Interest Media Holdco, Inc. The known office of publication is located at 2143 Grand Ave,
Des Moines, IA 50312. Periodicals Postage Paid at Des Moines, IA, and additional mailing offices. projects. Just take a look at the contents on the next page. The range of styles
Postmaster: Send address changes to Woodsmith, Box 37274, Boone, IA 50037-0274.

Woodsmith® is a registered trademark of Active Interest Media Holdco, Inc.

and approaches to furniture is amazing.
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4 • Woodsmith / No. 265

 No. 265 • Feb/Mar 2023

Projects
toy project
Marble Run Toy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Sure this game will be fun to play, but there’s also a lot of
delight in making it, too.
designer project
Drafting Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
34 This throwback table is sure to get you away from the com-
puter and grab a sheet of paper and some pencils.
heirloom project
Japanese-Inspired Hall Cabinet . . . . . . . . 42

42
Quiet design details and solid wood construction create a
welcome storage piece for almost any room.
shop project
Router Storage Cabinet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Not only does this project organize your router gear, it
also provides a drop-down workspace.
designer project
Gathering Table. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Knock-down furniture never looked so good. Learn the
secrets to building a rugged table that is easy to set up.

Departments
from our readers
50 Tips & Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
all about
Installing Crown Molding . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
working with tools
Using a Band Saw Point Fence . . . . . . . . . 18
great gear
Masterful Miters & More . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
router workshop
Our Favorite Joinery Bits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Woodsmith.com • 5
 READER’S
Tips
Magnet

Miter Saw Micro-Adjustment Stop

The miter saw is my main cross-
cutter, but making small adjust-
ments on the piece being cut isn’t
easy. The stop you see here was
my answer. Since clamping a stop
block to the fence is difficult on
short pieces, the stop is long and
attached to a plywood fence.
The stop is simple: two pieces
connected by a couple bolts for
adjustability. The mounting block
is L-shaped, with one hole for a
hex bolt to fine-tune the stop block
and another for a carriage bolt to
lock it in place. The carriage bolt
is counterbored, while the hex bolt
threads into a T-nut.
The stop block is a long piece
with a cut-out for the mounting
block at one end and a chamfer
for dust relief at the other end. A
recessed rare-earth magnet keeps
the stop block attached to the hex
bolt as it moves. A slot along the
side accepts the carriage bolt. A
washer and knob thread overtop,
and tightening the knob locks the
stop block in place for a cut.
Dan Martin
Galena, Ohio

MOUNTING BLOCK ¼"- 20 x 2" a.

(2¼" x 7½"- 2¼"Ply.) carriage bolt FRONT SECTION
VIEW Rare-earth magnet
3⁄8"-16 x 3"
hex bolt
1½ ½"-dia.
3 Hex bolt
¼"-dia.
¾
3⁄8"-16
pronged T-nut 1½ 6
1½ 1½
STOP BLOCK
3⁄8" rare-earth (1½" x 19½"- 2¼"ply)
b. END
magnet SECTION VIEW
NOTE: Magnet ¼" wide c. END
counterbored in VIEW 1⁄8" chamfer for
end of stop block dust relief
NOTE: Both 1⁄8
¼"-20 ¼" washer blocks glued up
threaded knob from ¾" ply 3⁄8
¾
¾
Mounting block Stop block

6 • Woodsmith / No. 265

Arched Cauls
When gluing up a panel from multiple boards,
keeping them all aligned can be stressful. Wet
glue has a tendency to make boards shift when
pressure is applied. However, a couple sets of
cauls clamped along the joints ensures the panel
surfaces stay flush. The ones pictured here are
arched to keep the glue off.
Make the cauls from two glued-up blocks of
plywood, chamfering the edges and cutting off
the corners. From there, bore a hole through the
center for the arch and chamfer the hole. Cut the
block in half, and you’re left with two cauls.
Anthony Saldana
Aurora, Illinois
NOTE: Make from one blank,
then cut in half to complete
½
½
a.
FRONT VIEW
Chamfer
edges CAUL
(2"x 4") 1⁄8" kerf

1½"-dia.

NOTE: Cauls are made from two

4" x 4!/8" pieces of #/4" plywood

Illustrations: Becky Kralicek Woodsmith.com • 7

 QUICK TIPS
Super Glue Storage. Paige Wilson of
Chicago, IL had found herself with a
collection of open super glue bottles. To give
the open bottles some extra shelf life, she
put them in a container with a packet of
silica gel. Silica gel is a dessicant, so it keeps
the container at a low humidity, slowing the
curing process of the open CA glues.

Painter’s Pins.
John Hansen
of Rapid City,
SD was getting
ready to paint when he realized he didn’t
have anything to set his door frame on.
Looking around the shop, he ripped a few
pieces of scrap into thin strips, then shot pin
nails every few inches along the length. These
served as quickly made painter’s points.

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8 • Woodsmith / No. 265

QUICK TIPS
Laying Out Pipe Length. Chris Benda of
Gilbert, Iowa thought up an easy way to
mark pipe or dowel. He wraps a piece of
paper evenly around the pipe, then lines it up
with the length he’s aiming for. Next he uses
a permanent marker to mark out a consistent
line around the pipe’s circumference.
Bar Soap Marking. Scott Grove of
Canadiguia, NY uses spare bars of soap
to make layout lines more distinct on dark
woods. After marking out the baseline for his
dovetails with a marking knife, he rubbed the
bar soap over the line, then wiped away the
excess to leave a distinct line.
Woodsmith.com • 9
 Fold-Down Apron Hook
When I’m in the shop, I almost always use an apron. It helps keep
my tape measure, steel rule, and pencils handy, plus it keeps the
sawdust out of my pockets. When I first started wearing one, I
realized I’d need a hook to hang it, and I figured, why not make
one instead of buying one?
The apron hook you see at left is what I came up with. It’s pretty
simple, using only four pieces of 1"-thick pine. First, I cut all the
pieces to size, then I drilled out the holes for the pivot pin, as well
as the countersunk pilot holes for mounting the hook on the wall.
After that, I shaped the hook. I did the initial shaping at the band
saw, then moved over to the edge sander to ease it into the shape
I wanted. The exact final shape isn’t critical, so long as the hook
holds your apron.
To assemble this project, just apply glue to the sides of the mount-
ing block, sandwich the sides on with the hook in between (on the
pivot pin of course). Now screw the assembly onto the wall. The
top screw can go in straight, but you’ll need to angle the lower one.
Barry Waphulkuhn
MOUNTING BLOCK Hobbs, New Mexico
(¾"x 6")
HOOK
(17⁄16"x 6")

3⁄8"-dia.
countersink

SIDE
(2½"x 6") ¼"-dia.
hole,
½" deep

¼"-dia.

NOTE: All
parts are
¼"-dia. x 2" 1"-thick
steel pin hardwood

a.
¾
¾ SIDE
SECTION
VIEW

3¼ 15⁄16

NOTE: Ease
17⁄16 1¾ edges of
hook
ACTUAL SIZE

10 • Woodsmith / No. 265

 NOTE: Each handle
half is made from
¾" plywood
¾

#8 x 1¼" Fh woodscrew
HANDLES
(1½"x 4")
Sandpaper

Sanding Band
Sanding oddly shaped pieces like the cabriole leg pic-
tured at right can be a pain (even more so than an aver-
age sanding session). Matching the contours can be dif-
ficult and time-consuming, but this sanding belt makes
hitting those curves much easier.
The belt itself is from a belt sander, measuring 4" wide
and cut down to 16" long. The handles on the ends are
pieces of 3⁄4" plywood. The plywood is screwed together,
sandwiching either end of the belt. After that I cham-
fered the corners of the handles for a smooth, easy grip
in my hand. When one belt wears down, I just attach
the handles to a new belt.
Travis Hahn
Calvin, Oklahoma

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*Prices in US dollars & subject to change. SINCE 1982 866.238.4425

Woodsmith.com • 11
 ALL
About
 species,
Regardless of width or wood
crown molding often has
an ogee profile near the top edge
and a cove at the bottom.
12 • Woodsmith / No. 265
Crown
Molding
A ny seasoned carpenter will tell
you, installing crown molding is
anything but a routine task. Unlike most
moldings, which are attached flat to the
wall, crown molding rests at an angle
between the ceiling and wall. Because it
“leans” at an angle, working with crown
molding requires cutting compound
angles, which can be a tricky operation.
To complicate matters even more, in gen-
eral construction, walls and ceilings are
seldom flat, square, or plumb.
CROWN MOLDING CLOSE-UP
If you haven’t purchased crown molding
before, it’s worth taking a few minutes
to familiarize yourself with some of the
basics — such as how it hangs on the wall.
WHICH SIDE IS UP? All crown molding has
a decorative profile milled into the face
of the molding. At first, it may not be
obvious which side faces up toward the
ceiling. An easy way to determine this is
to look at the end of the molding (photo
at left). Typically, an ogee profile (a dou-
ble curve in the shape of an elongated ‘S’)
is closest to the ceiling, while the smaller
profile (often a cove) is at the bottom.
Top Backer
"Flat"
Ceiling
joist
plate Ceiling
Crown
molding
Wall
stud Spring angle
"Flat"
Wall
SIZE. In addition to a variety of profiles,
crown molding also comes in a wide
range of sizes. The most common width
(35⁄8") is readily available at most home
centers. At some lumberyards and mill-
work shops, 41⁄2", 51⁄4", 65⁄8", and even
wider moldings are available.
When selecting crown molding, the
idea is to make it proportional to the size
and height of the room. For example,
35⁄8" or 41⁄2 " molding is appropriate for
an average-sized room (about 150-200
square feet) with an eight-foot ceiling.
But you’d want to use wider molding in
a large room with a higher ceiling.
Written by: Erich Lage
 SPRING ANGLE. Regardless of its
width, crown molding is milled
so it sits against the wall and
ceiling of the room along two
narrow edges or “flats” (inset
detail on previous page). With
these flats fitting tightly against
those surfaces, the molding
is tilted at an angle called its
spring angle. You’ll need to take
this angle into account when
cutting crown molding and
when making the backers that
fit into the opening behind the
molding (more on that later).
PLANNING THE JOB
As with any job, some careful
planning up front will go a long
way toward preventing prob-
lems from cropping up later.
LOCATE WALL STUDS & JOISTS. For
starters, I mark the locations of
the wall studs and ceiling joists
with blue (or purple) painter’s
tape. This type of tape isn’t as
sticky as regular masking tape,
so it can be easily removed
1HHGWRÀDWWHQDERDUG"
We have your solution!
A great project!!
Request a copy of
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Illustrations: Bob Zimmerman
without damaging the paint
once you’ve finished the job.
LAYOUT LINES. The next step is to
mark lines on the tape indicat-
ing the location of the bottom
edge of the crown molding.
These lines will make it easy to
position the molding.
To determine the location of
the lines, you’ll need to know
the “height” of the crown mold-
ing once it’s installed. An easy
way to do that is to use a fram-
ing square and a scrap piece of
molding (photo, right). Just mea-
sure the distance from the corner
of the square to the bottom edge
of the molding. Then, cut a block
to match that distance and use it
as a gauge.
BACKERS. There’s one situation
you’ll run up against that needs
special attention. If the ceil-
ing joists run parallel to a wall,
there won’t be anything to nail
the top of the molding to along
the wall. Installing short back-
ers (about 12" long) will provide
Whether it’s CNC, router table or
handheld, we’ve got the bits you need.
Our Storage Inserts will get
your bits organized.
What can we help you make today?
Crown molding
Use a framing square
to establish the height
of the molding, its
spring angle, and
Installed size of backer
height
1
⁄4" less than
the triangular
Backer
opening).
Spring
angle
¼"
a solid mounting surface.
Backers are triangular lengths
of 2x stock that fit into the open-
ing behind the molding. Here
again, use a framing square and
scrap molding to determine
the size of the opening (photo
above). Keep in mind that you
don’t want the backers to fit
tightly against the molding.
800-472-6950
www.woodline.com
Get precise dados with your router &
our Dadoright™ Jig. Versions available
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Woodsmith.com • 13
 END VIEW

NOTE: Place
Crown molding
upside down in jig Fence
Spring
angle
Stop
Base

MAKING A JIG
When working with crown
molding, getting a tight-fitting
corner joint is all about making
accurate compound angle cuts.
This requires taking two angles
into account: the spring angle of
the molding (the angle it projects
from the wall), as well as the
angle of the corner.
One way to simplify things is  slipping
A stop attached to the base of this jig prevents the crown molding from
off its spring angle, so you can focus on making simple 45° miter cuts.
to use a miter saw jig that holds The base can be longer to provide outfeed support if needed.
the molding at its spring angle
(photo, right). This way, with the The jig consists of three pieces: It’s easy to determine the
molding tilted against the jig, all a base, a fence, and a stop. As length of these jig pieces; they
you have to do is cut a 45° miter. you can see in the detail above match the length of the miter
BUILD THE JIG. It only takes a few left, the base and the fence act as saw (they can be longer if you
minutes to build a jig. The one the ceiling and wall, supporting like). The base has to be wide
shown below is made of 3⁄4" ply- the crown molding at its spring enough so that the kerfs made
wood, but it’s a good project for angle during a cut. The stop sim- by the saw blade won’t go all the
using whatever scrap material ply prevents it from slipping off way to the outer edge. For the
you have on hand. its spring angle. fence, just be sure it’s tall enough

NOTE: To locate stop on base,

tilt molding against fence
at its spring angle
FENCE
(¾" ply x 2¾" x 28")

Crown
molding

STOP
(¾" ply x ¾" x 28")

NOTE: Fence, base, BASE

and stop are made ( 7" x 28")
from ¾" plywood

NOTE: Use brass screws

and stay away from
blade path

#8 x 1¼" Fh
brass woodscrew

14 • Woodsmith / No. 265

 LEFT INSIDE RIGHT INSIDE LEFT OUTSIDE RIGHT OUTSIDE
CORNER CORNER CORNER CORNER

NOTE: Place
crown molding
upside down
for all cuts

Rotate saw 45° right, Rotate saw 45° left, Rotate saw 45° left, Rotate saw 45° right,
place molding on right place molding on left place molding on right place molding on left

to support the crown molding.
After cutting the pieces to size,
the base and fence are simply
screwed together, forming an
L-shaped assembly.
INSTALL THE STOP. Now it’s just a
matter of attaching the stop.
An easy way to determine the
location of the stop is to use a
scrap piece of crown molding.
Lean the molding up against
the fence. It should be placed
upside down — that is, with the
top of the molding against the
base of the table and the bottom
against the fence.
Check that it’s resting on the
narrow edges (or “flats”) on the
back of the molding. Then mark
the location of the bottom edge
of the molding on the base of
the jig. Now align the stop with
the layout line and attach it with
brad nails.
MOUNT THE JIG. With the stop in
place, it’s just a matter of mount-
ing the jig to your miter saw.
It’s held in place with screws
installed through the pre-drilled
holes in the miter saw fence.
The drawings above show the
four basic miter cuts you’ll use
on crown molding. Next, we’ll
focus in on one that will be com-
bined most often with a coping
saw — the right inside corner.

Woodsmith.com • 15
 RIGHT NOTE: Place
INSIDE crown molding
CORNER upside down
CUT for all cuts

Rotate saw 45° left,

place molding on left
NOTE: This is the miter cut you
need to make for the cope cut
as shown in photo at right

CUTTING CROWN MOLDING

The next step is cutting the
crown molding. You have the
jig in place, a sharp blade in the
miter saw, and a stack of molding
at the ready. Hopefully you’ve
purchased some extra material
so you can practice making this
sequence of cuts that can bend
your brain around a bit. That
way, if you make a mistake while
coping, there will still be enough
material on hand to trim the end
and try again. There’s no need to
be running to the lumber yard
mid-project.
UPSIDE DOWN. Either way, you’ll
need to place the molding in  When
After revealing the profile of the molding, it’s time to make the cope cut.
making a cope cut, tilt the saw to make a backcut, then follow the
the jig so it’s upside down. In contour of the profile as closely as possible, leaving a slightly “thick” edge.
other words, the top edge of
the molding rests on the base of COPING INSIDE CORNERS 45° joints — that’s a valid ques-
the jig, and the bottom edge sits More often than not, you’ll be tion. After all, outside corners
against the fence. (As I’ve men- cutting an inside corner joint are mitered, so what gives?
tioned earlier, think of the base when working with crown First, it’s the same reason you let
as the ceiling of the room and molding. For an inside corner, I panels float in frame and panel
the fence as the wall.) use a coped joint. With this type doors — seasonal movement.
AND BACKWARD. Since the mold- of joint, one molding is butted In this instance the problem
ing gets sawn upside down, it into the corner, and the adjoin- is on a larger scale, but it has
must also be placed in the jig ing piece is cut, or coped, to fit to be addressed if you want
backwards. The previous page against it. good-looking woodwork for
shows the saw and molding Let’s visit a moment about a long time. Second, the three
positions for cutting both inside why the inside corners don’t planes of two walls and a ceil-
and outside corners. use the much simpler butted ing are often not square to each

16 • Woodsmith / No. 265

other. So getting a closed miter 1 2
on an inside corner is more of
a headache than learning how
to make the sleeve-like, flexible
coped corner.
Before coping the joint, you’ll
need a “map” of the decorative
profile of the crown molding to
use as a guide while making the
cut. That map is easy to come by.
You simply position the mold-
ing on the jig for either a left- or
right-inside corner, then cut a 45°
miter on the end of the mold-  back
The first step is to make a relief cut from the
of the molding to the transition line
 angle,
With the coping saw held at a steep
make a backcut along the cove
ing. Here, we’re going to make between the two decorative profiles. profile, stopping at the relief cut.
an inside right corner cut. The
miter saw set up for this cut is 3 4
like you see in the drawing on
the previous page. The freshly
cut edge provides a visual refer-
ence that you can follow as you
make the cope cuts.

COPING SAW TECHNIQUE

Once the miter cut is made, it’s
time to cope the molding to fit
against the adjoining piece. The
whole idea here is to backcut
the end of the molding, follow-
ing the contour of the profile as
closely as possible, and leaving
a slightly “thick” edge (photo,
previous page).
For a chip-free cut, you’ll
want to mount the blade so the
teeth point away from the han-
dle of the saw. It also helps to
make relief cuts, which allow
 end
To check the fit, hold the coped
against a scrap piece of
molding. A file will fix small gaps.
 make
Starting from the back of the molding,
a second relief cut up to the transition
line where the ogee profile begins.
the waste blocks to fall free
(Steps 1 and 3, above). Since
you’re cutting through a lot of
wood the angle of the backcut
in Step 2 takes some time to
do. If you’re patient and don’t
 fiWhen you have arrived at a tight-
tting joint, the line between the
two boards will all but disappear.
 half-round
After completing the cope cuts, use a
file to refine the fit, working
just up to the edge of the molding.
force the blade you’ll be much
happier with the results. Finally,
no matter how carefully you
cut, you’ll probably still need to
file the end of the molding for a
perfect fit (Step 4). The two pho-
tos to the left show you how to
check your handiwork with a
scrap of molding.
The savvy woodworker that
you are means you know we’ve
been using oak molding in these
photos. The grain pattern in
oak can be ornery at times. You
might want to experiment with
a well-behaved paint-grade
poplar or pine to get the hang
of the coping process.
Now that you’re a master of
the coped joint, you’re about
ready to take on any room in the
house. In the next issue we’ll
have tips and insights on the
rest of the journey. W

Woodsmith.com • 17
 WORKING
with Tools

Band
Saw
Point Fence
T he band saw is one of the most versatile
power tools in any shop. From pattern
cutting to resawing to joinery, it’s capable of jobs
across the spectrum. The thin kerf of a band saw
blade means less waste compared to a table saw
or miter saw, and the downward cutting motion
makes it one of the safest power tools to use.
Despite these advantages, there is one big draw-
back that a lot of band saws suffer from: drift.
A saw that needs tuning or has a dull blade will
really suffer, but even a well-maintained band
saw can pull to one side during a cut. There could
be an issue with the tires — the crown, the axles,
the alignment, the blade position on the crown —
or it could be trouble with the blade itself, either
in the set of the teeth or the tension the blade is
under. While cutting freehand, drift can be actively
worked against, but if you need to use a fence then
you’d better hope it’s adjustable, and that you’ve
adjusted it right. However, there’s a fence design
that skips the need for adjusting while still provid-
ing the benefits of a fence.

18 • Woodsmith / No. 265 Written by: Rob Petrie

 FENCE
(6" x 4")
POINT
(6" x 2½")
NOTE: Both parts made
from ¾"-thick hardwood
3⁄8"-rad.
POINT FENCE. If you’ve done a bit
of band saw work, then you’ve
likely come across a single-
point fence. The concept isn’t
anything crazy: by keeping in
contact with the workpiece at
only one point, the fence main-
tains a consistent width (or
thickness when resawing) while
allowing for various angles
of approach, and it makes
Centerline
of point
1⁄ " ahead
8 a taller fence is better when it
of blade
 cut
The workpiece needs to make contact with the point fence just before the
begins. Position the point fence so the center (where it touches the piece)
is 1⁄8" in front of the blade’s teeth.
Illustrations: Bob Zimmerman
#8 x 1½"
Fh woodscrew
controlling the direction of the
workpiece easier.
The most common use of a
point fence is resawing, but it’s
often used when cutting curved
pieces with a uniform width
(or thickness). Less commonly
though, a point fence can be
used to counteract a drifting
band saw, since there’s no worry
about misalignment.
a.
FRONT VIEW
Fence
NOTE: Dado
is ¾" wide
and 3⁄8" deep
1⁄8"-dia.
hole
MAKING A POINT FENCE. A single-
point fence can be as simple as a
long board with a rounded end
that gets clamped to the table.
It can also be a complex, fully
adjustable replacement for your
stock band saw fence. How
extensive you’d like your fence
to be is up to you, but I prefer to
take the middle ground.
The point fence illustrated
above keeps it simple. It’s two
pieces screwed together in a
T-shape, then butted up to the
stock fence of the band saw
and held in place by F-clamps.
The fence can be short if you
only plan on doing rip cuts, but
comes to resawing.
ROUNDED OR FLAT. There are differ-
ing ideas on on the best shape
for the fence’s “point.” Some
people find a small flat helps get
a straight cut started. Personally
speaking, I prefer a rounded
end that has truly a single point
of contact. The rounded edge
is easier for me to pivot on
curved pieces as well as keeping
straight rips under control. If
you’re interested in a band saw
point fence, it might be worth it
to try both styles and see which
you prefer.
Woodsmith.com • 19
 the
A point fence will help you counteract drift. Keep
workpiece pressed firmly against the fence while
cutting and work to find the best angle of approach.
USING A POINT FENCE
As I mentioned before, a big
advantage to using a single-
point fence is the control, like
using a tool rest on a lathe. Not
1 in contact with the fence. If your
 side
When making tenons, the point fence helps keep each
of the tenon even. For offset tenons, simply adjust
the point fence accordingly.
2 a band saw. A point fence
 crosscut
Once the cheeks of a tenon have been cut, a freehand
finishes the job. This makes the band saw an
excellent option for smaller tenons.
20 • Woodsmith / No. 265
 shape,
Since the point fence will keep a piece at one consistent width regardless of
it makes the perfect accessory for cutting curves, such as you might
find on the stretchers making up the back of a chair.
only does the fence keep a con-
sistent width on the piece being
cut, but it also allows you to eas-
ily adjust the angle of approach.
There’s a small bit of technique
to using a point fence — keeping
blade does drift, it may want
to pull away from the point, so
you’ll need to keep a bit of pres-
sure applied against the fence
while pushing through the cut.
As I mentioned before, the
point fence is primarily an acces-
sory for resawing and cutting
curves. However, I find it useful
for a variety of cuts, even joinery.
RESAWING. Whether it’s cutting
a thick piece of stock into two
usable boards or slicing a nicely
figured piece into bookmatched
veneers, resawing is incred-
ibly useful and best done on
is ideal for resawing, as it
eliminates any worry that the
fence might be misaligned
with the blade drift.
Resawing with a point fence
is easy. The point will help
maintain a constant thick-
ness, so you simply need to
keep the cut straight and the
workpiece pressed against
the fence. This minimizes the
blade marks and maximizes
your material.
RIP CUTS. Straight cuts on
the band saw are usually
reserved for thin and small
pieces, which could be a danger
to try on the table saw. This is
where counteracting drift really
comes in handy. If you’ve gotten
the hang of resawing and mak-
ing curved cuts, then you have
all the skills required. The key
is keeping the piece against the
fence and finding the best direc-
tion to approach the cut from.
CURVED CUTS. Most of the work
I do at the band saw is curving
cuts that simply wouldn’t be
possible elsewhere. While many
of these odd shapes are done
freehand, a fence is useful for
achieving a consistent thickness
during the cut despite the shape
(right photo above).
Again, some pressure must be
applied against the point, as well
as forward through the blade.
Unlike with resawing however,
you’ll want to adjust the angle
of approach along with the curve
to minimize chatter and blade
marks. Depending on the drift
of your saw, the piece may want
to pull away from the fence on
a curved cut, so a few test cuts
beforehand can be helpful.
TENONS. A point fence is handy
for small tenons, especially
those on the ends of boards
that would be awkward at the
table saw. After laying out the
tenon, begin by establishing the
cheeks (Step 1). Then pull aside
the fence and cut the waste free-
hand (Step 2).
THE BRIDLE JOINT
While tenons can be cut by about
any tool under the sun, there’s
one specific “band saw exclu-
sive” joint that’s far easier to
make when using a point fence.
The bridle joint you see pictured
to the right is a great choice for
long, narrow pieces. It creates a
strong bond and offers a distinct
look, making it a popular option
on many frames.
Looking at the joint, you can
see why I’d favor the band saw.
While the tenon can be made as
1 First cut the mortise. The tenon
 ofFirst,theusemortise
the point fence to establish the cheeks of the joint. Cut the sides
first, then nudge the fence slightly (to account for the blade’s
kerf) and cut the sides of the tenon.
easily
as any other,
the shape of the
mortise calls out to be
made at the band saw. Of
course, if drift is an issue, then
getting those lines perfectly
straight for a good fit can be a
hassle. That’s where the point
fence comes in.
MAKING THE MORTISE. The first and
most important step is to estab-
lish the sides of both the mortise
and the tenon, as shown in
Step 1 below. This is where the
point fence is useful, as it’ll keep
your cuts on-line. However, it’s
also important to minimize the
 look
A bridle joint provides a strong connection and a distinct
between two long, thin pieces. Typically, the rail is
tenoned while the stile carries the mortise.
blade marks for a tight fit and a
clean look. This means finding
the right feed angle and keeping
steady pressure both against the
point and into the blade.
is next, but the fence will need
to be nudged slightly toward the
blade to account for the kerf.
Once both sets of straight cuts
have been made, it’s time to get
rid of the waste with some free-
hand cutting. Use a long, curving
cut through the waste to free up
the mortise. Bump the bottom of
the mortise against the blade to
clean it up (Step 2). If the bottom
of the mortise is looking rough,
clean it up with a chisel.
Completing the tenon simply
means cutting the shoulders
(Step 3). This should leave you
with a snug, sturdy join. W

2 3

 inUsethea kerf
long, curving cut through the mortises’s waste to clean it up, starting
of one side, then cutting to the opposite corner. From there, a
 With
Crosscut the tenon’s waste free, exposing the cheeks.
good form, this should leave few blade marks if
series of “bump cuts” will clean up the base of the mortise. any, resulting in a well-fitting joint.

Woodsmith.com • 21
 GREAT
Gear
A Grab Bag of
Jigs & Good Tools
E very table saw comes with two manda-
tory accessories — a rip fence and a miter
gauge. Out of the crate both items address a basic
function. The rip fence guides material through
the saw blade with the direction of the grain,
while the miter gauge hold boards safely during a
cut across the grain. Of course both do more with
the addition of auxiliary fences and jigs. Here we’re
looking at two jigs for your miter gauge.
FALSE STARTS. One more thing I want to mention
before we dive into the jigs — your table saw
22 • Woodsmith / No. 265
blade needs to be parallel to the miter gauge slot
for these jigs to work properly. That being said,
let’s take a look at the two of them.
MITERSET. If you visit Miterset.com, you’ll find a
site that’s dedicated to making your miter gauge
work with precision when cutting all manner of
angles with your miter gauge. There are two jigs
available to set angles on your miter gauge, and
each comes with its own storage case. The jigs
are made from anodized aluminum plate with a
slot in the middle to hold your miter bar in place
Written by: Erich Lage
while adjusting the angle of the
head. Each jig has two tapered
pins that fit in the holes drilled
in the plates. A printed set of
instructions are also included
with the jig. The numbers that
label the holes are laser-etched
into the surface.
The hole arrays for both of
these jigs are a mirrored pattern
on either side of the miter bar
slot to allow you to make left or
right cuts with your miter gauge.
Let’s look at what each jig does.
THE STANDARD PLATE. The Standard
plate is shown in the photos at
the bottom of the page. This jig
sets your miter gauge to pre-
cise angles from 0.5° up to 52.5°
(using the detent bar), doing so  starts
Like the Standard plate, the Segments plate
with a pair of ‘00’ holes that each holds
 labeled
Here, the jig has a pin placed in the hole
#9. That means you’ll create a ring of
in 0.5° increments. one pin as a point of reference. 9 equal segments.
To use the jig you slide your
miter gauge into the slot in that represents the degree angle plate. Like the Standard jig, the
the center of the jig and loosen you want to cut. Now slide your Segments jig aligns your miter
the handle. Out of curiosity, miter gauge against the two pins gauge using a system of pins
I checked the 90° setting on and tighten the handle on your in numbered holes. This jig lets
my miter gauge against the jig miter gauge. The photo below you divide a circle into as many
(photo below left) the gauge right shows the detent bar in as 20 equal segments, or as few
dial on my miter head was off action. The notches on either end as four (photos above).
enough that I no longer rely on of the bar allows you dial in the These jigs aren’t cheap, but
it for an accurate reading. angle in 0.5° increments. they’re super accurate. You can
Place one pin at ‘00’ and the THE SEGMENTS PLATE. The other jig purchase the jigs separately, or as
other pin in the numbered hole MiterSet makes is the Segments a set online at Miterset.com.

Zero the
fence using
both pins

The detent bar allows

angle adjustments in
0.5° increments

 handle
To set 90 degrees accurately, loosen the
and place the head against the steel
 ToThedialholestheinjigthein Standard jig are clearly etched in the surface at 5° increments.
at finer angle use the detent bar. This bar features a set of
pins in the ‘00’ holes. detents at each end for finer adjustments (inset photo).

Woodsmith.com • 23
 Openings for
surface clamping
Scale indented
into top
Handle on end
aids in setting up
and folding away
the table
Tool pouch clipping
Bracing to prevent
racking
Fold-away legs are
splayed for stability
The QuickSet Work Bench has
lots of amenities that make it
worthy of being used in the shop.
QUICKSET WORK BENCH
Is it possible to have too many
worksurfaces? Especially ones
that fold up and can be tucked
away when not needed? Well
the QuickSet Work Bench from
ToughBuilt makes a really good
case for being added to your
shop furniture collection, if for
no other reason than its mobility.
As you see in the photos to the
left, just press the tab on the end
of the table to set up and take
down this sturdy work surface.
I’m not much for proprietary
gimmicks like the ClipTech
pouch attachment that you see
in the main photo above, but
that doesn’t mean it isn’t some-
 the
The orange tab under the handle unlocks the legs while
steel bar swings them open (top photo). To fold up the
thing worthwhile. But I do like
all the openings in the surface
legs, unlock them first with the other tab (bottom photo). for clamps. The openings are
24 • Woodsmith / No. 265
Multiple
handles provide
options for
carrying the
work bench
attachments
1,000 lb.
capacity
Rubber feet
grip the floor
nice and wide and they play
well with my F-clamps when I
need to hold something firmly in
place. What would make me fall
in love with this setup is if there
were wheels on one end to roll
the table around. After a quick
search, I found this table avail-
able online at Lowes.com.
ISO TUNES LINK 2.0
Hearing protection is important.
Did you hear that? Hearing pro-
tection is critically important.
Forgive me if I’m coming off as
Mr. Bossy Pants, but when you
break a bone or pull a muscle
those injuries will heal. Once
hearing is gone, it’s gone.
Fortunately there are comfort-
able options available that will
keep you entertained, connected,
 Charging
Control jack
center

Skip
foward
Volume
up  earmuff
Beneath the left
there’s a
Skip
back Volume charging port for
down
a USB cord that’s
provided with
the unit.

 headband
The earmuffs are comfortable, from the padded
to the memory foam cushions that cover
 play
The control center on the Link 2.0 earmuffs allows you to
and pause music. This is also the button where you
your ears. And the volume is limited to 85dB. can answer and end phone calls.

and your hearing safe. The ear-
muffs you see in the photos
above are a perfect example.
The ISOtunes LINK 2.0 solves
the conundrum that often hap-
pens with hearing protection
— you’re too isolated. These
earmuffs connect with your
phone via bluetooth for music
and phone calls (there’s a micro-
phone attachment available that
we didn’t try). The earmuffs
come with a rechargeable lith-
ium-ion battery and micro-USB
charging cord. You can purchase
the earmuffs online at isotunes.
com, and many home centers.
NAIL PULLER
With the price of lumber these
days salvaging old boards makes
sense — in theory. In practice
pulling 16d nails out of wood
can get exhausting real fast. The
nail puller you see in the box
below won’t eliminate all the
work, but it certainly helps.
It’s the Crescent 19 Inch nail
puller. I’ve had the one you see
here for over 30 years. This nail
puller, along with newer models,
can be purchased online and at
local tool suppliers. W

OLD-SCHOOL LUMBER RECYCLER

Slide
hammer
down over
nail head
Slide
hammer Levering
back grabs
Embrace the nail head
Jaws and pulls
Beast. This is a nail out
serious nail puller.
First, straddle the jaws
around the nail to be Heavy steel
construction
pulled (inset photo). Second,
drive the jaws around the head
of the nail (middle photo). Third,
pry the nail free by pulling back on
the handle. The heel of the puller
acts as the fulcrum to remove the
nail. It’s not pretty, but it works.

Woodsmith.com • 25
 TOY
Project

26 • Woodsmith / No. 265 Written by: Rob Petrie; Project Design: Chris Fitch
 Marble
Tower
This wooden wonder is a
simple feat of engineering
that provides a fascinating
challenge in the shop and
plenty of entertainment for
children and adults alike.

M arbles are one of the oldest toys known

to humanity. The earliest are estimated
to have been made in 2500 BCE, and writings from
the Roman empire show us that Roman children
played with them much like kids might today. Of
 and
Splines join the individual pieces of track that make up the start
end ramps for a sturdy connection.
course, a modern child has no shortage of entertain-
ment, but there’s still something to be said about
the simple, visceral joy of a toy like the one here.
ANCIENT TOY, MODERN DESIGN. The marble tower here is
based off of the many marble run toys you may
have seen in toy aisles — or, like me, had as a child.
As simple as a marble is, a run isn’t much more
complex, and most are just a series of ramps for
a marble to travel down. However, our designer,
Chris Fitch, wanted something a bit meatier for
this project, which led to the pump tower that
feeds marbles from the bottom to the top.
RUDIMENTARY MECHANICS. As you may have gleaned
from the photo at left, the tower is operated by a
hand crank. While wooden mechanisms can often
be daunting projects, this one couldn’t be simpler.
The hand crank is attached by a shaft to a rotor.
The rotor has a marble sized gap, and when it’s
turned it takes the lowest marble on the track up
into the channel in the pump. As the channel fills,
marbles are forced up to the top until they roll out
 series
The marbles build speed rapidly as they follow the track, but a
of hardboard bumpers keeps them in line.
at the starting ramp. Each turn of the crank then
pushes another marble down the tower.
The yellow pine, accented by hardboard bum-
pers, glows once finished, while the grain of the
tracks flow together. All in all, this old-school toy
makes a gorgeous gift for kids and grandkids that
can also be appreciated by the grown-ups.

Illustrations:Bob Zimmerman Woodsmith.com • 27

 POST CENTER
(2½"x 26½")
POST FACE
Starting at the BASE (3½"x 27")
B
C
½"-rad.

Before getting to more intricate a.

work, we’ll need a foundation.
The base and the post make up A
2331⁄32
the bones of this project. BOTTOM VIEW
BASE. Cut the base to size, then 5¼
radius the corners at the band
6
saw. Clean them up at the edge
3½
sander, then set the piece aside
½
for now.
1½
POST. The post is made up of 147⁄8
two faces and a center. After
¾
cutting the pieces to size, radius NOTE: Base, tower
and pump made
the corners and sand them clean from ¾" softwood
5¾
as you did with the base. Use
a dado blade and miter gauge
at the table saw to make the ¾"-rad.
notches that will hold the round
tracks later. A
BASE
PUTTING IT TOGETHER. Now to (12"x 24")

GO
O
assemble the base and post. #8 x 1½" Fh
woodscrew

2
First, glue up the post, sand- similarly to the post, but a hand
wwiching the center between the crank at the bottom and an open
Online
nlline fa
faces. Once dried, seat the post channel through the center allow
Extras on the base by driving coun- it to bring the marbles from the for the round tracks, which I cut
ttersunk screws up through the end back to the start of the tracks. at the table saw. Next, head to
For full-size holes underneath (detail ‘a’). PUMP FACE. Begin by cutting the the drill press and drill out the
Marble Tower
patterns, go to: pump faces and pump center to rotor shank holes.
PUMP size. As with the post, the pump SLOTS. The slots are routed with
Woodsmith.com/265
The pump sits at the heart will need shaped and sanded. a straight bit at the router table.
of the project. It’s structured The faces will also need notches Mark the start and stop points

MAKING ROOM FOR THE ROTOR

Cutaway piece
1 2 3 of part "E"

Support
block NOTE: Glue pump center
pieces of part "E" shown
E to the pump face "D"
Waste

NOTE: Cut Rotor

according to patterns shaft
E E
E ¼" D

Cut Loose. At the band saw, Core Removal. Attach the piece to Reassembly. Glue the pump center pieces to one
cut the lower portion of the a block. Slice ¼" off of each side to pump face. Only attach one ¼" cutaway piece at
pump center free. create two cutaway pieces. this time. Use the rotor to help locate the pieces.

28 • Woodsmith / No. 265

a. E D
1 1¼
25⁄8 45°
A ½"-rad. 13⁄8 D
15°
BOTTOM VIEW NOTE: Pump
5¼ ¼" ½ faces and
slot PUMP 1¼ center made
CENTER from ¾" softwood
7
(3½"x 30¾")
3½ 117⁄32 E 1"-
rad.
1½
PUMP FACE
(4½"x 313⁄8")
ROTOR ½ D
(¼" x 27⁄8"-dia.) 15⁄16
H
11⁄32"-rad. WASHER 91⁄8
17⁄16"-rad. (¼" x 1"-dia.) 3
G
1½"- 1½
¾ rad.
3⁄8"-dia.

½"-rad. 2
FRONT VIEW
3⁄8"-dia. 1"-dia. 13⁄8 F
11⁄16" NOTE: Dowels
CRANK ARM are 3⁄8" hardwood
(½" x 1 X 2¾") 1
Rotor shaft H
F
2½ Handle
3⁄8"-dia.
1¾ ½
51⁄8 4¾ G

of the slot on the pieces, along 3 3 2¾

#8 x 1½" Fh
with the location of the bit on woodscrew
the table’s fence. Set the fence, FRONT VIEW
then lower the piece onto the
spinning bit just before the end including the holes for the rotor rotor shaft. At the band saw,
of the slot. Backrout to that end and crank shafts. Drill out the cut the two pump center pieces
of the slot, then rout out to the dowel holes, then cut out the from the one blank. Follow the
other end to complete the slot. pieces on the band saw. steps below to make room for
CRANK & ROTOR. Before cutting PUMP CENTER. The center is where the rotor and to construct the
the crank arm, washer, or rotor the action takes place. Begin pump. Once the pump is built,
to size, lay out their shape, by drilling out the hole for the screw it onto the base.

4 D
5 6 crank shaft NOTE: Glue
rotor to rotor
Double shaft before
sided F gluing on
tape second face
E

G
H

D
E rotor
D
shaft
NOTE: Press D
rotor
firmly down on shaft
pump face to stick
second "E" cutaway to it

Second Face. Apply tape to the Lay Out Location. Remove second Crank. After the pump is assembled, the
second ¼" cutaway. Fit the rotor, face and trace around the cutaway. crank arm can be glued to the crank shaft
center piece, and cutaway in place. Remove the tape and glue it on. and rotor shaft, with the washer in place.

Woodsmith.com • 29
 NOTE: Five round tracks
and four elbow tracks ROUND TRACK
are needed (25⁄8" x 5½")
J I

J
ELBOW TRACK 5¼
(1½"x 219⁄32 ")
I

NOTE: All round I

track pieces are
made from ¾"-thick TOP VIEW
softwood 25⁄8"-rad.
I 219⁄32"
¾
2¼"-rad. 25⁄8"-rad.

I 3⁄8 3⁄8"-rad. J
58°
NOTE: Glue round 25⁄32 I
track pieces into
post and pump I
END VIEW
dadoes

Making the TURNS

J Now for the tracks. Most track made from from four 3" by 171⁄2"
pieces will be suspended blanks. These are stuck together
between the round turns, which, in pairs with double-sided tape
as you can see above, are glued to create 6"-wide blanks. This
I into the dadoes in the pump and will provide enough material
post. These will be the starting for six channelled circles. While
point for making the tracks. four will be plenty, I recommend
BLANKS. The sections of using the extra materials for test
curved track (both cuts to make sure everything is
round and elbow) are set up correctly.

ROUTING CURVED TRACKS

1 2 3
NOTE: Size trammel
for your router
NOTE: Holes in trammel Take two or
13⁄16"-dia. allow you to register the three passes
Bit center hole router for each cut to reach full
depth
Inner path SIDE SECTION
7⁄8 VIEW
17⁄8
Corebox ¾" core
groove 25⁄8 Trammel box bit
¼" Pivot pin 7⁄16
Outer path NOTE: Two
Peg track blanks are
locations taped edge to edge

Router Trammel. A trammel is used Registering. Drill a hole in the center Channel. Use a core box bit to rout the
to rout the channels for the track, and of the circles, then use a ¼" pivot pin channel for the marbles. Make several
to cut the track pieces free. to register the trammel for each cut. passes to reach the final depth.

30 • Woodsmith / No. 265

 TOP BUMPER
(25⁄8"x 5¼")
L

TRAMMEL ROUTING. A trammel and

router are used to shape and cut NOTE: Bevel
the curved tracks, as illustrated all ends 15°
in the boxes below. The first step 2½
is to make a trammel sized for ¾
your router with holes as shown L
in Figure 1. These will give your
router a place to register for
BOTTOM
each cut. NOTE: Bumpers BUMPER K
made from (25⁄8"x 5¼")
CHANNELS. The channels are ¼" hardboard
29⁄16
routed using a plunge router, a 3⁄8
core box bit, and the trammel.
Before you can rout however, K

you’ll need to drill a hole where a. Bumpers

the circles’ centers will be and
insert a dowel to register the
trammel on. Now rout the cir-
cular channels as in Figure 3.
OUTER CIRCLE. With the channels
made, it’s time to cut the waste
off the edges. Swap out the core
box bit for a straight bit, then
use the outer path to rout the
outer profile (Figure 4).
INNER CIRCLE. The elbow track
pieces have a radius both inside
and outside. To make this, take
one circle and rout using the
inner path hole on the trammel
(Figure 5 below).
With the core removed, peel
the blank apart. Cut the elbow
tracks to size at the band saw,
25⁄8"-rad.
25⁄8
K
then head to the table saw to cut
the slots for the splines, as shown
in Figure 6 below.
ATTACHING THE TRACKS. Now that
the tracks have been shaped,
pull them apart and peel off the
tape. Glue the five round track
pieces into their dadoes.
BUMPERS
Pieces of hardboard act as bum-
pers on the turns for when the
keep the
2¼"-rad. marbles
on track NOTE: The
bumpers are
made from
3⁄8
¼" hardboard
marbles gain speed, keeping
them on-track. Lay out their
shape, then cut them on the
band saw, keeping to the waste
side of the layout lines. Sand
them down to their final shape
and size.
Glue the track pieces on as in
detail ‘a’ above, then sand them
flush with each other. Finally, use
a chisel to bevel the ends for a
pleasant transition.

a.
END
VIEW
4 5 6 1⁄8 J
¼

NOTE:
¼" Straight Rout inner
bit path last

Double
stick tape
J

Outer path Inner path

hole hole

Free the Pieces. Register the router in Remove the Center. Use the inner Spline Slots. To cut the slots for the
the outer hole of the trammel and use path to rout out the circle that will be splines, tape the elbow tracks to a block
a ¼" straight bit to rout the circles free. the elbow tracks. and cut the slots at the table saw.

Woodsmith.com • 31
 NOTE: All straight tracks made
from ¾"- thick softwood
FIRST: Fit in start and end
track assemblies Q
LONG STRAIGHT TRACK NOTE: Cut all tracks long
(1½" x 1713⁄16 ") and trim to fit
SECOND: Fit in long START TRACK
M straight tracks (1½" x 821⁄32 ")
M
NOTE: Start
and end track
assemblies are SHORT STRAIGHT
joined by splines TRACK
(1½" x 35⁄16 ")
O O

N
Q
END TRACK O
(1½" x 75⁄8")

a.

Q M
15°

½
TENON b. SPLINE c.
DETAILS DETAIL
15°
¼ O

N N O
15° 1⁄8 1⁄8
O

¼ 15°
O

Making the STRAIGHTAWAYS

There are two sets of pieces left to
make before finishing the tower
— the straight tracks and the
starting and ending tracks — in
addition to one more bumper.
THE STRAIGHTS. Begin by cutting
all the straight track pieces to
size, including the start and end
ramp pieces. Leave the short
and long straight track pieces

STRAIGHT TRACKS & BEVELED TENONS

Start & End. As you can 1 a. 2
see above, the start and 15°
end tracks have a unique 7⁄16
shape. First, a channel
is routed through along
with the other straight
pieces. One end is NOTE:
reverse
then slotted while the Raise bit cut for
¾" Core opposite
opposite is beveled, and to 7⁄16"
box bit
shoulder
lastly a tenon is cut on
the the beveled end, as Straight Channels. To rout the channels, Beveled Shoulders. Angle the miter gauge
shown in Figure 2 at the put the same core box bit in the router to cut one shoulder of the tenon, then reverse
far right. table and run the straight tracks through. the angle and cut from the other side.

32 • Woodsmith / No. 265

 NOTE: Make splines
M 1⁄8" x ½" x 19⁄16"
P 11⁄8"-rad.

¾
J P
J 1½"-rad.

overly long for now so they can 3¼

be cut to fit their places in the
whole track.
ROUTING THE CHANNELS. As you may
imagine, making the channels
on the straight tracks is a much
easier task than it was on the
turns. Get out that same core
box bit at the router table to cre-
ate the channels for the marbles,
as shown in Figure 1 on the pre-
vious page.
BEVELS. Each of the straight
track pieces has a bevel on one
or both sides. Cut these with a
miter gauge and auxiliary fence
at the table saw (Figure 2).
TENONS. The start and end ramp
pieces each have a tenon on one
end to fit into the pump. Make
these at the table saw with a
dado blade and miter gauge
(Figure 2, previous page). The
shoulders of the tenon are bev-
eled, so the miter gauge will
need to be turned 15° for these
cuts, and opposite shoulders
will need to be cut 15° on the
opposite angle.
FITTING & ASSEMBLY
All the track pieces have been cut
and shaped, so all that’s left is fit-
ting them. We’ll begin with the
O
Fitting Ramps. Dry fit 25⁄8"-rad.
the start and end ramp
assemblies before gluing 2¼"-rad.
the splines. Leave the short
straight track extra long and
trim it to fit exactly. ½
END BUMPER 3⁄8
(1"x 107⁄16") NOTE: End bumper
R is made from ¼"
hardboard
start and end ramps, then finish straight pieces until the fit is
with the straight track pieces. perfect, then glue them in place.
SPLINES. The start and end ramp The straight pieces are simply
pieces are joined by splines. The butt-jointed to the turns.
start and end tracks connect to FINAL FITTING. To complete the
the elbow tracks, which in turn tower, the long, straight tracks
connect to the short, straight can now be fitted and installed.
tracks. Cut the splines to size, As with the shorter pieces, nib-
but don’t glue up the ramps yet. ble away the waste until their fit
FITTING. Dry fit the ramps along is flush with the round track
with the elbow pieces and the sections in order to complete the
short, straight pieces. Trim the marble tower. W

Materials, Supplies & Cutting Diagram

A Base (1) 3⁄ x 12 - 24 E Pump Center (1) 3⁄ x 31⁄2 - 303⁄4 I Round Tracks (5) 3⁄ x 25⁄ - 51⁄
4 4 4 8 4
B Post Faces (2) 3⁄ x 31⁄ - 27 F Crank Arm (1) 1⁄ x 1 - 2 3⁄ J Elbow Tracks (4) 3 ⁄4 x 19⁄32 - 219⁄32
4 2 2 4
C Post Center (1) 3⁄ x 21⁄ - 261⁄ G Washer (1) 1⁄ x 1"-dia. K Bumper Bottoms (10) 1⁄4 hdbd. - 25⁄8 x 51⁄4
4 2 2 4
D Pump Faces (2) 3⁄ x 41⁄ - 313⁄ H Rotor (1) 1⁄ x 27⁄ "-dia. L Bumper Tops (5) 1⁄ hdbd. - 25⁄ x 51⁄
4 2 8 4 8 4 8 4
M Start Track (1) 3⁄ x 11⁄ - 821⁄
¾"x 7" - 60" Pine (Two boards @ 2.9 Bd. Ft.) 4 2 32
N End Track (1) 3⁄ x 11⁄ - 75⁄
B D ALSO NEEDED: One 24" x 4 2 8
24" sheet of ¼" hardboard O Short Straight Tracks (2) 3⁄4 x 11⁄2 - 35⁄16
Q I I I
Q 1⁄ x 11⁄ - 1⁄
P Splines (8) 8 2 2
Q Long Straight Tracks (4) 3⁄4 x 11⁄2 - 1713⁄16
¾"x 17" - 84" Pine (4.1 Bd. Ft.) P F G 1⁄ hdbd. x 1 - 105⁄
R End Bumper (1) 4 32
A A A H

C E M N O O
J J J J • (1) 3⁄8"-dia. x 6" Dowel
• (8) #8 x 11⁄2" Fh Woodscrews

Woodsmith.com • 33
DESIGNER
Project

34 • Woodsmith / No. 265 Written by: Erich Lage; Project Design: Dillon Baker

 accessory.
The pencil tray is a charming and practical drafting
We used an aluminum hook to secure it to
the top edge of the table.
 toSturdy stretchers lock into the sleeves of the base
create an attractive way to make working at the
table a wobble-free adventure.
 adjustments
The shop-made pivot plate allows for infinite angle
of the table surface. Making it is a nice
break from scattering sawdust around the shop.
Illustrations: Dirk Ver Steeg
Drafting
Table
Whether you choose to
use this gem for drafting,
drawing, or doodling is up to
you. I think you’ll agree, the
term “back to the drawing
table” never looked so good.
T he work of designing shop projects, draw-
ings, and creative paintings since the advent
of the digital world has been a dazzling adventure,
to say the least. And in many ways rightly so —
the ‘undo’ feature that is available in all creative
software programs has been a godsend.
THE REST OF THE STORY. While the digital defense team
gloats about these merits, we all know that there
are times when the old school analog realm works
just fine, thank you very much. How about the
touch and tooth of sublime surfaces from cotton
rag paper to voluptuous vellum — along with
your favorite drawing or painting instrument?
That can’t be replaced by a sterile monitor. And
you’ll never be forced to upgrade your pencils for
this table. Speaking of the table ...
HAMMERED FINISH. Coating the base and sleeves with
a spray-on hammered finish provides a sleek uni-
fied look to the table. These MDF base parts hint at
an art nouveau-industrial kind of mash-up. Good
looking and sturdy, that works for me.
As a counterpoint to the cooler vibe of the base,
Dillon Baker threw some walnut into the mix. The
walnut accents start with the stretchers (middle
inset photo) and are used for the adjustable legs,
cleats, and pencil tray (top inset photo) to add a
warm, earthy element to the table.
The top is more MDF that is wrapped on both
sides with plastic laminate, but not the edge, which
plays nicely with the walnut. Lastly, as you see in
the bottom inset photo, there’s a shop-made pivot
plate that provides any table angle you want.
Woodsmith.com • 35
 a.
NOTE: The feet are
two layers of ¾" MDF
and one layer of ½" MDF.
The base pieces are ¾" MDF 1

A A
FOOT
(10" x 20")

2"-rad.
B
A
FRONT VIEW

b.
NOTE: Glue and brad
nail base to foot A
BASE
(3" x 21") FRONT VIEW
B

1⁄8" Chamfer B

It begins with a BASE

c. TOP VIEW B
A base for a table doesn’t have to the sides of the feet. The box
be boring to be stable. And this below shows how to do this.
one isn’t. All the parts are made The grooves you’ve made in 4
A 2

GO
O
of MDF (as is the sleeve on the the sides will be your guide to

2
next page). As you see in the make a notch in the top of the
drawing above, the foot is com-
dr feet at the table saw. Then you
Online
nlline prised of three pieces, so that’s a
pr can rough out the arc’s profile ¼
Extras good place to start — gluing up
go at the band saw and smooth the
blanks, after cutting them to size.
bl surface with sandpaper. is centered on the foot and brad
For a full-size SHAPE THE FOOT. Use the pattern THE BASE. The base that the foot nailed in place.
pattern of the you’ll find at Woodsmith.com/265 sits on adds stability and a
foot mortise,
go to: to make a template for the foot. nice visual accent. Start out by SLEEVES
Woodsmith.com/265
A pattern bit in your router cutting the base to size, then The sleeves are the multi-taskers
combined with the template chamfer the edges along the of the table. The main drawing
helps form a perfect groove in top. As detail ‘b’ shows, the base on the next page shows the parts
that make up the sleeves. The
upper portion of the sides com-
MAKING A BIG GROOVE bined with the front and back
pieces create the hollow where
the legs travel up and down. The
lower portion wraps around the
a.
foot. What separates these two
functions are the fillers.
FILLERS. Frankly, the fillers can
Pattern be made of whatever scraps you
A ¼ bit have in your lumber rack. We
NOTE: A
glued up the fillers with MDF
Template
pattern SIDE SECTION VIEW scraps and set them aside to
available online
focus on the other sleeve parts.
Use a Template. A template attached to the base blank guides your pattern bit. Rout Detail ‘c’ shows the bottom
the edges first, then remove the waste in the center of the base. profile of the sides. They can
be cut at the band saw, or with

36 • Woodsmith / No. 265

 b. SIDE
SLEEVE VIEW
a. BACK
TOP VIEW D
½
D C
10
1⁄8
FILLER 5⁄32"-rad.
3⁄8"-rad.
C (2½" x 12")
E
D c. D
D
C SLEEVE
FRONT E
D (1½" x 22")

C
C
4
a jig saw, then smoothed with C 6
D
sandpaper.
GLUE UP THE SLEEVE. To keep things 2"-rad.
in order, layout the position of
the fillers on the front and back SIDE SECTION VIEW
sleeves. Then spread a little glue
C FRONT BACK
on the mating surfaces and brad d. VIEW VIEW
SLEEVE SIDE
nail them to each other. Now (4" x 28")
you can glue the sides together.
4 D
Double-check the alignment of 65°
all these parts before ratcheting C
down the clamps. 23⁄64
10
SOCKETS FOR STRETCHERS. To hold the
saw-tooth ends of the stretchers 77° 77°
firmly in place. You’ll need to
make the angled sockets across NOTE: Filler made
from two layers of D 23⁄64
the face of the sleeves (front and ¾" MDF. All other C
parts are made 65°
back) that you see in detail ‘d.’ from ¾" MDF
Later, you’ll make the stretch-
ers that nestle into these sockets.
For now, let’s focus on how to Notches for the table height To ensure the sleeves are
make the sockets. adjustment knobs (details ‘a’ square to the base, use a fram-
The sockets are 1⁄2" deep and and ‘b’) are next on the list. In ing square held on the ledge of
will hold the surface of the Figure 2 you see how to make the base while you glue and brad
stretchers proud of the sleeves. both of the notches. When those nail the sleeves into the foot.
Figure 1 below shows you how are done, you need to chamfer With that, you’re set up to make
to go about this. the top edge of the sleeves. the stretchers and legs.

SHAPING THE SLEEVES a. FRONT SECTION

VIEW
7⁄8

1 ½"
Straight a. 2
bit 1⁄8
Stop
Saw kerf line
C b. 5⁄8

C FRONT
½ SECTION
D VIEW
¾" Straight
SIDE VIEW bit

Removing Waste. After defining the walls of the sockets with a Notch for Adjustment Knob. Routing the notches at
hand saw, remove the waste with a straight bit in your router. the top of the sleeves is easily done at the router table.

Woodsmith.com • 37
 a.
Flanged
3 FRONT VIEW insert
¾ 77° 427⁄32
F
13° G G
65°

7⁄16"-dia.
G hole
1⁄8"
LEG chamfer
(2½" x 17")
5⁄16" - 18 x 25⁄32" 3⁄8"-dia.
Flanged hole
insert
NOTE: Trim studs
on leg adjustment
G
knobs to 15⁄8"

3⁄8" 1½ ¾
Washer

1¼

4
5⁄16" - 18
1⁄8" Adjustment
chamfer on knob
outside edges

F
b.
FRONT VIEW
NOTE: Stretchers
are made from
¾"-hardwood. F ¾
The legs are made STRETCHER 2
from 1½"-thick (2" x 277⁄8")
hardwood 3⁄8"-dia.

2½"-dia.

Making the table ADJUSTABLE

Now we’re going to add some
rigidity and flexibility to the
table. The rigidity comes in the
GO form of the stretchers that bring
2
Online
n ine
the base components together.
The flexibility starts with the
T
Extras hardwood adjustable legs you
h on the outside edge.
see above — and culminates in
se
For a full-size
pattern of the the pivot bracket that ties the top
stretcher ends to the table. Let’s start the pro-
and pivot bracket,
go to: cess with the stretchers.
Woodsmith.com/265 STRETCHERS. Notice in detail
‘a’ above that the ends of the
stretchers aren’t square. You
can use the information in that
detail or go online and grab the
pattern there and make a tem-
plate for tracing.
The band saw is the tool of
choice for shaping the ends of
the stretchers. When you’re done
cutting the shapes, sand them
smooth. Then, like you see in the
main drawing, add the chamfer
A FORK IN THE ROAD. As Yogi Berra
stated “If you come to a fork
in the road, take it.” We’re at a
moment like that in this project,
and it has to deal with attaching
the stretchers to the base.
The dilemma is that these
parts have contrasting finishes,
as the photos at the beginning
shows, the base is painted, and
the stretchers have a clear finish.
The norm is to save applying
finish to the project at the end.
But in this case I want the base
assembled and the legs in place
so that I can accurately attach
the top to the pivot plates. So it
makes sense to take a break from
building and do some finishing.
The stretchers are finished
with a wipe-on oil and a couple
of coats of lacquer. As for the
base, after the brad nail holes
in the MDF parts are filled and
sanded flush they’re primed
with lacquer, then sprayed
with a hammered texture finish.
When the paint is dry it’s time
to attach the stretchers.

38 • Woodsmith / No. 265

 a. FRONT SECTION VIEW b. Adjustable
Flange knob
insert
5⁄16" Hex
head 5⁄16"
bolt Locknut
Pivot plate

FRONT
SECTION
Washer VIEW Pivot
Washer plate

NOTE: Trim stud 5⁄16"

on pivot plate Washer
adjustment 5⁄16"-18
knobs to 7⁄8" Locknut

5⁄16"
Washer Pivot
plate

NOTE: Pivot plates 5⁄16"-18

are made from 1⁄8" thick Pivot plate
12" x 12" aluminum sheets adjustment
knob
5⁄16"
Washer

BASE ASSEMBLIES
Start by standing the two base
assemblies on a flat surface. As
you glue and clamp the stretch-
ers in place, use a tape measure
to ensure the assemblies are par-
allel to each other.
ADJUSTABLE LEGS. The legs that
slide in the sleeves to adjust the
height of the table are next on
the docket. After cutting them
to their final size, lay out and
drill the stopped holes for a set
of flanged threaded inserts, and
the through hole at the top of
the leg for the pivot bracket.
Then shape the radius at the
top of the legs (detail ‘b’ previous
page). The last bit of dressing is
to chamfer the edges of the legs.
Then install the inserts in the
stopped holes.
PIVOT PLATE
Now you get to spend some
time making metal shavings. The
pivot bracket starts out as a sheet
of aluminum that you shape into
the bracket you see to the right.
The easiest way to tackle this
is to print out two copies of
the pattern that’s at Woodsmith. Adjust the trammel to cut the
com/265 and attach it the alumi- outer profile. (Stop short of the
num sheet with spray adhesive. mounting tab area.) Drill the
KERF FIRST. Score a line at the holes in the mounting tabs and
table saw where the mounting complete the final shaping along
tab later gets folded. A non-fer- the edges. Now progressively
rous blade will do this easily. sand the plates to an even sheen
Next, drill three holes in the (100-220 grit).
upper portion of the plate. The To bend the tabs without
outer two are the end points of deforming the body of the plate,
the adjustment arc. The center sandwich the plate between two
hole is for the pivot bolt. Use a pieces of plywood along the kerf
trammel and 3⁄8" milling bit to line, then slowly hammer the tab
make the arc in multiple passes. perpendicular to the plate.
35⁄8 ¼"-dia.
11⁄8 hole
3⁄8
Mounting tab 1
23⁄16 3⁄8"-dia.
hole
3⁄8"-dia. NOTE: Kerf is
hole 1⁄16" deep
END
VIEW
49⁄32"-rad.
329⁄32"-rad.
5"-rad.

Woodsmith.com • 39
 1⁄8" Chamfer on both
edges of top
Plastic 7½
laminate 5½

H
#8 x ¾"
Rh woodscrew
TOP
(31" x 42")

#8 x 1¼" Fh woodscrew

NOTE: Cleats are

made from ¾"-hardwood.
The top is ¾" MDF
I
CLEAT
(2½" x 20")

a. b.
SIDE SECTION VIEW SIDE SECTION VIEW

H H

1⁄8" chamfer I I

#8 x ¾"
Rh woodscrew 1¾ #8 x 1¼"
Fh woodscrew #8 x ¾"
Rh woodscrew
Pivot
plate

Adding the TABLE TOP

The last two parts of the table CONTACT CEMENT. Contact cement extends beyond the sides of the
are fairly simple to build. The is an adhesive used to bond top. Starting at the center, slide
cleats screwed to the underside large surfaces together. I’ll hit one separator out at a time
of the top are in turn fastened the highlights here — for more while pressing the laminate to

GO to the base through the pivot in-depth information go to the surface of the table with

2
Online
nlline
plates. You’ll notice in the main
drawing above that the top is
dr
Woodsmith.com/265. What you
do is apply a coat of adhesive
your other hand. Once the sep-
arators are removed, start back
Extras skinned with plastic laminate
sk to each surface, let it dry, then, at the beginning with a J-roller
on both sides — this is to pre- using sticks as separators, lower to firmly bond the two surfaces.
vent warping. For the most part one surface to the other. The other side of the top gets
To learn how to
work with contact MDF is a material that stays flat, The separators provide a buf- the same treatment. To protect
cement, go to: so laminating both sides is just fer between the two surfaces the finished surface, lay the top
Woodsmith.com/265 insurance. coated in contact cement. They on a drop cloth. To dress the
Cutting the top to its final size can be sticks, dowels, or even old edges, use a laminate-trimming
is the first order of business. mini-blinds. Their job is to give bit (or a chamfer bit). Now we
Then you can focus on the lami- you complete control over when can jump back into the last of the
nating process. First, let’s review and how the surfaces touch. woodworking for the table.
the ins and outs of working with Position the laminate on CLEATS. The cleats are easy to
contact cement. the separators so the laminate make. After cutting them to size

40 • Woodsmith / No. 265

 Aluminum
bar
PENCIL TRAY
(2" x 11")
J

#6 x ½"
1⁄16" Chamfer Fh woodscrew

a. NOTE: Pencil grooves are ¼" deep

and chamfering the edges, drill 11⁄8"-dia.
hole 6¾
the shank holes and counter
J 5⁄8
sinks (details ‘a’ and ‘b,’ previ-
ous page). When it comes to 1
½
attaching the cleats to the under- 3⁄8
side of the top, you’ll need to 1 1¾ 1"-dia. TOP VIEW
pre-drill through the laminate hole
so you don’t crack the surface.
ATTACHING THE TOP. To ensure
b. 4
the top is properly aligned to run down the sides of the table
the table, it’s best to draw the if you have more items that you 2
J
footprint of the pivot plate’s want to keep close at hand. If
mounting tab centered on the you come up with custom ver- ½ 1
cleats. Then, with the pivot sions, send them our way, we 7⁄8
1⁄8
plates set parallel to the floor, would love to see your versions. FRONT
SECTION
place the top on the mounting Start out by cutting the piece VIEW
1
tabs and screw the two together. to final size. At the router table
rout the mortise on the under- your drill press to make the cup
PENCIL TRAY side (detail ‘b’) and square up that holds the pencil sharpener.
The pencil tray you see in the the end. Rout the pencil slots Lastly, chamfer the cup opening
photo and drawings above with a core box bit. I used a and the top edge of the tray.
hooks over the top of the table. larger core box bit in a drill press With that, the tray and table are
This design can be expanded to to make the bowl shape. Use ready for service. W

Materials, Supplies & Cutting Diagram

A Feet (2) 2 MDF - 10 x 20 H Top (1) 3⁄ MDF - 31 x 42 • (8) 5⁄16" Washers
4
B Base (2) 3⁄ MDF - 3 x 21 I Cleats (2) 3⁄ x 21⁄ - 20
4 4 2 • (2) 5⁄16"-18 Locknuts
C Sleeve Sides (4) 3⁄ MDF - 4 x 28 J Pencil Tray (1) 3⁄ x 2 - 11
4 4 • (6) #8 x 11⁄4" Fh Woodscrews
D Sleeve Front/Back (4) 3⁄4 MDF - 11⁄2 x 22 • (8) 5⁄16"-18 Flanged Inserts • (8) #8 x 3⁄4" Rh Woodscrews
E Fillers (2) 11⁄2 MDF - 21⁄2 x 12 • (4) 5⁄16"-18 x 13⁄4” Adjustment Knobs • (1) 1” x 6" Aluminum Bar
F Stretchers (2) 3⁄ x 2 - 275⁄ • (2) 1⁄8" x 12” x 12” Aluminum Plates
4 8 • (2) #6 x 1⁄2" Fh Woodscrews
G Legs (2) 11⁄2 x 21⁄2 - 17 • (2) 5⁄16"-18 x 2” Hex Head Screw • (1) 4' x 10' Sheet of Plastic Laminate
¾" x 5½"- 60" Walnut (2.3 Bd. Ft.)
I F J

F
I

1½" x 3"- 36" Walnut (1.5 Bd. Ft.)

ALSO NEEDED: One 24"x 24" Sheet of ½" MDF,
G G One 48"x 96" Sheet of ¾" MDF

Woodsmith.com • 41
HEIRLOOM
Project

Japanese
Hall Cabinet
The artful Asian influence
that haunts this cabinet
will grace your home.
While building it will let
you flex a wide variety of
woodworking tasks.
 The visual gift of simple geometry, and the contrasting
grain patterns of dovetail joinery, mean the strength and

W oodworking is always a fun

endeavor, and when you come
across a project like you see here, there are
bonus points for variety. Which reminds me
beauty of the joinery will last a long time.

of another old saying, “variety is the spice of

life.” That adage came to mind often when
dealing with and thinking of this cabinet.
THE DESIGN. For instance, the big square that
is the case and the overlay doors are soothed
and supported by the curvilinear base. While
the rattan tondo in the door agrees with the
base, it does so in a more exotic way.
Speaking of the door, the term “frame and
panel” door doesn’t speak to the beauty you
see here. That’s because the hardwood panel
has been brought flush to the frame and given
a little separation as well. This slight-of-hand
adds a graphic charm to the cabinet.
THE MATERIAL. Although white oak is the pre-
dominate wood used on the cabinet, the
walnut feet on the legs add a mellow touch.
And rattan always kicks things up a notch.
THE TECHNIQUES & TOOLS. Let’s see — some dove-
tail joinery at the bench, the ever-present
table saw and drill press are on board, a little
time at the lathe, routers cutting circles and
mortising cylinders — toss in some rattan  and
The graphite-like shadow line between the door panel
frame encourages the rattan-covered opening to
and hot water. There’s plenty to do here, so glow a little in its surroundings.
let’s head to the shop.

42 • Woodsmith / No. 265 Written by: Erich Lage; Project Design: Dillon Baker
Illustrations: Dirk Ver Steeg Woodsmith.com • 43
 A
END VIEW 3⁄8 1½ 3⁄8 TOP
(13½"x 30")
A

¾ 7°
B
7°
FRO NT VIEW
FRONT VIEW B
SIDE
(13½"x 32")
It all starts with a sturdy
DOVETAILED CASE NOTE: All parts
are made from
¾"-thick hardwood
20¼
The heart of this cabinet is the
B
case. As you see in the drawings
NOTE: Dadoes
here, the joinery du jour that in the sides are
brings the case parts together is cut before the
case is glued up. 11½
dovetails — they’re fabulously Rabbet in case
strong and a delight to look at. back edge is done
after assembly
After gluing up the panels and
cutting them to their final length,
you’re ready to jump in. A
The box below walks you
through the process, but I’ll add
a few details here. You must have
all the panels flat, smooth, and
square. When you’re happy with a. b.
SIDE VIEW
that, arrange the panels with the 3⁄8
best faces forward and mark
B ¼
each adjoining corner to keep ¼
things in order. FRONT
SECTION B
PINS. Figure 1 shows how to 5⁄8 VIEW
layout the pins. The baseline
represents the thickness of the
panels. The drawing above when you’ve reached the base- half of the waste before flipping
shows the spacing of the pins. line on both sides of the panel. the panel to do the other side.
When cutting the sides of the Figure 2 shows using a backer When the pins are done you’ll
pins be sure to stay on the waste board to make an accurate base- use them to lay out the location
side of the line. Stop cutting line incision. Then chop away of the tails on the mating panels.

HAND-CUT DOVETAILS
1 2 3 Backer board

A A

Backer
board

Bevel B
gauge NOTE: Undercut NOTE: Mating
A shoulders for tight-fitting pin defines
Baseline baseline mating tail

Layout the Pins. First, draw the Chop-chop. After you’ve cut the pins Transfer to Tails. A sharp pencil
baseline and pin location, then use a with a hand saw, clamp a board to the transfers the pin location to the tails.
bevel gauge to draw the angled lines. baseline and remove the waste. Use a backer board to steady the panel.

44 • Woodsmith / No. 265

 a.
½ B

#8 x 1¼"
A Fh woodscrew
E
3⁄8
BACK
NOTE: Square (29¼"x 31¼")
corner with C
chisel after routing

D
Figure 3 shows using the backer VERTICAL
board to hold the panel in place DIVIDER D NOTE: Install
(12½"x 8¾") vertical dividers
while tracing the tail locations. after horizontal
dividers
Figure 4 shows removing the
waste from the tails (like you 95⁄8
did on the pins). Before you glue
up the case, there are a couple of
things to do. NOTE: Dividers
are made from ¾"- NOTE: Horizontal dividers
MORE JOINERY. Now that you’ve thick hardwood. The are added afer case is glued up
finished the jazzy joinery, you back is made from
½" plywood C
have some dadoes and tongues HORIZONTAL
DIVIDER
to contend with. Let’s start with (12¾"x 29¼")
the stopped dadoes for the hori- b.
zontal dividers. 3⁄8
The main drawing and both ¼ c.
5⁄8
details on the previous page ¼ C
¼
show you all you need to know C
3⁄8
to make the stopped dadoes. FRONT
SECTION 3⁄8 E
Clamp a straight edge to the VIEW
panels to guide a router. After D SIDE
SECTION
the router calms down and is out VIEW
of the way, square up the ends larger than the tails so I made
of the dadoes with a chisel. Now the notched clamping block you
you can glue up the case. see in Figure 5. After the clamps DIVIDERS
GLUE UP. When gluing up the are stowed away, rout a rabbet While I was chatting away
case you want all the clamping on the rear edge of the case like about joinery you probably
pressure to be on the tails. In this you see in detail ‘a’ above for glued up the panels for all the
case the heads of the clamps are the plywood back. dividers — good for you. If not,
glue up the panels now. In
the spirit of measuring twice
and cutting once, check the
distance between the dadoes
in the case and then cut the
4 5 B
horizontal dividers to length.
As you see in the main
drawing and detail ‘c,’ there
B A
are more stopped dadoes on
Clamping the inside faces of the hori-
block
zontal dividers. When those
NOTE: Undercut are done, you can tackle the
shoulders for tight- tongues that are on the ends
fitting baseline
of the dividers (detail ‘b’).
Shape the Tails. Remove half the Glue Up. Use a shop-made Install the horizontal divid-
waste in the tails, then flip the clamping block to apply pressure ers first, then follow up with
panel and repeat the process. directly on the tails of the sides. the vertical dividers, and
finally the plywood back.

Woodsmith.com • 45
a. TOP VIEW b.
BACK VIEW
¼
G
NOTE: The stretchers are
H made from ¾"-hardwood.
The legs and feet are made from 17⁄8
¾ 2¾" turning blanks
G 21⁄8
LEG G
I
(2½"x 5")

5½ I ¼"-dia.
H
G ¾"-dia.

F
FOOT F
G (2½"x 4")
1¼"
Pocket d.
F G
screw c. SIDE SECTION VIEW
I
H H
SHORT LONG ¾
STRETCHER I
(2½"x 9¾") STRETCHER
F (2½"x 24½") I
FRONT
1¼" H SECTION
Pocket VIEW
screw ½
Here’s an uplifting BASE G

As wonderful as the case of the the bottom edge. (Later, when

cabinet is it does come up short you make the door, you’ll add e.
in one area — height. Well, height a circular opening to the panel
from the floor anyway. The base that completes the trifecta.) The G
THIRD: Glue H
solves that problem while com- journey of making the leg starts up legs
and feet
plementing the imposing square at the lathe with the foot. and do final FIRST:
turning Drill mortise
geometry of the cabinet with cir- TURNING A TENON. Gluing end in leg FRONT
cular patterns. grain together does not make SECTION
VIEW
The legs you see in the main a good joint. So to address that
drawing above are two-part cyl- problem you’ll join the two SECOND:
inders that add visual punch to turning blanks with a mortise Turn tenon 1⁄16"
3 on feet chamfer
the cabinet while lifting it off the and tenon. The box below will
floor. They’re tied together with guide you. First, drill the holes F
stretchers that echo the circular in the leg blanks (Figure 1).
motif with a large roundover on Then make the tenons on the

MORTISE & TENON

NOTE: Turn tenon only
1 1" Forstner a. 2 at this time a.
bit
1
1
G F 1
G

SIDE
SECTION
VIEW SIDE VIEW

Drill a Hole. Drill a hole in the bottom of the leg to join Turn the Tenon. The foot has a tenon turned on the top to
with the foot. A Forstner bit is the ideal bet for this job. mate with the hole in the leg. For now just turn the tenon.

46 • Woodsmith / No. 265

ends of the feet (Figure 2, previ-
ous page) Afterwards, you can CONNECTING THE PARTS
glue the two parts together.
TURNING THE ASSEMBLY. Now it’s
back to the lathe to turn the 1 a.
final leg shape. You can add the
chamfer on the bottom now, END
VIEW
or with a router bit later. Oth-
erwise, it’s time to make some
mortises in the legs.
First
DOUBLE MORTISES. Detail ‘b’ on the stop ¾"
line straight ¼
previous page shows the two bit
mortises you need to cut into
the legs. To do this safely and
accurately you’ll need to add A Jig for Mortises. Attaching blocks to the ends of the leg assembly will hold it steady
temporary blocks that match the while you rout the first mortise. Then turn the blank 90° and rout the other mortise.
diameter of the legs to the ends
of each leg assembly to hold the 2 a.
leg in place at the router table.
The first pass creates the large
mortises that hold the shoulder END
profile of the stretchers (Figure VIEW
1). The second, smaller mortise Second
stop line 1¼
(Figure 2) is for the tenon (it
would be best to make this mor-
tise in multiple passes). ¼" straight bit

STRETCHERS Smaller but Deeper. All you have to do for the second mortise is change out the bit
The four stretchers (two long, and mark the second stop line on the router table fence.
two short) that bring the legs
together (main drawing, previ- 3
ous page) are straightforward
workpieces. And the work starts a. b.
END VIEW END VIEW
at the table saw making tenons ¾ ¾
H I
on the ends (Figure 3). Aux. fence H I
H
The same dado stack buried in I ½
¼
an auxiliary rip fence will shape
the tenon cheeks (Figure 3a) as
well as the shoulder cut (Figure Dado blade
3b), just raise the blade.
BIG EASY. To say you need to Stretchers are Next. Over at the table saw you’ll cut the tenons on the ends of the
“ease” the bottom edge of the stretchers. Cut the cheeks first, then remove the material for the shoulders.
stretchers would be an under-
statement. A large roundover bit 4 NOTE: Round over a.
chucked into your router table tenon with file END
VIEW
(Figure 4) is what’s called for to 3⁄8"
Round-
dress the stretchers profile. H I over bit
Before gluing up the base there H I
are pocket holes that you need
to drill on the interior face of the
front and back stretchers (detail 3⁄8" Roundover
bit
‘c,’ previous page). As you glue
up the base, (with band clamps)
confirm that the tops of the legs Roundover. A roundover bit chucked into the router table makes short work of the
and stretchers are flush, and the roundovers needed on the bottom edge of the stretchers.
frame is square.

Woodsmith.com • 47
 Magnet cup FRONT SECTION
STOP BLOCK N
(1¼"x 3) VIEW
Rattan cane
M
TOP RAIL M 15⁄8
M
(2"x 13)
413⁄16
1 K
3½"-
5¼ rad.
3⁄8
#8 x 1¾" Fh a.
woodscrew

b. 13⁄8"-dia.
1 K hole
STILE
(2"x 32)
37⁄8"-rad. FRONT 7⁄8
SECTION
VIEW 3⁄8
Spline
K 6½
Door
Full-overlay handle K
K Euro hinge
K L 3⁄8 25⁄8
J 1
DOOR PANEL
½" Rare earth (11¾"x 27¾")
magnet

c. SIDE J
L SECTION
Magnet VIEW
washer
¼ ¼ ¼

NOTE: All parts 3⁄8 ½

are made from BOTTOM RAIL
¾"-thick hardwood (3"x 13)
L K

d. e. Full f. SIDE SECTION VIEW

J overlay
hinge
1⁄8
TOP 13⁄8
SIDE SECTION
SECTION N
3⁄16 VIEW 5⁄8
VIEW
¼ J ½
Cup Washer
K
Magnet K

Add a pair of
great looking DOORS
The doors for this cabinet, like
the design and materials on the
rest of the project, are a notch
above the standard fare. At first
glance it’s just a frame and panel
door with a decorative opening
in the upper center. But on closer
inspection you’ll find some sub-
tle features that sing in the same
key as the rest of the cabinet.
SOLID DOORS. No plywood here.
These solid white oak panels
are graced with an extra-wide
tongue that creates a nice
shadow line between the sur-
rounding frame. And that circle
laced in cane rattan — we’ll get
to that shortly. You’ve got some
panels to glue up first.
While the glue is curing on the
panels, let’s tackle the stiles and
rails. A solid-wood panel needs
to be able to move with seasonal
changes. This means the frame
surrounding it has to be the mus-
cle holding the door together.
So after you cut the centered
grooves in the stiles and rails
(detail ‘c’) you’ll need to drill
mortises in the end of the stiles to
accommodate some beefy tenons
(detail ‘a’) that you’ll cut on the
ends of the rails. Before we can
put the doors together we’ve got
to gussy up those panels that are
waiting for you. Start by trim-
ming them to size.
TRAMMEL TIME. The hole in the
door panel (main drawing
above) and the surrounding
groove, are begging to be made
with your router and trammel.
So, with double-sided tape,
attach the panel to a sacrificial

48 • Woodsmith / No. 265

INSTALLING THE CANE SCREEN
1 2 Dowel
3
X-acto
Spline knife
Veneer saw

Spline Rattan cane

Rattan cane

Fit the Spline. After soaking the Install the Screen. Place the softened Trim & Lock the Screen. First, trim the
binding cane (spline) in hot water, fit it sheet of rattan over the opening and excess cane around the spline. Then
in the groove and trim it to length. use a wood dowel to set the spline. lock it in place with hide glue.

board, and rout the outer ring
first (detail ‘d,’ previous page).
Then adjust the position of
the router on the trammel and
make the opening in the panel.
Next, back at the table saw, cut
the tongues on the edges of the
panels (detail ‘c’).
Now you can glue up the
doors. Remember to let the pan-
els float. Detail ‘b’ shows where
to drill the holes for the full-over-
lay hinges (detail ‘e’). The main
drawing shows the screw hole
locations for the handles. This
is a good time to install the stop
blocks in the case (detail ‘f’).
SPLINES & RATTAN
To decorate the hole you made
in the door you’re going to use
the same two durable ingredi-
ents that make up the skins of
wicker furniture. Open weave
rattan cane comes in sheets and
is used to cover large openings
in chairs. Binding cane is the
long strips of material that holds
the rattan in place and wraps
the rest of the chair.
HOT WATER. The only way you
can work with these materi-
als is to first soak them in hot
water. In about 20 to 25 minutes
the binding cane will be pliable
enough that you can fit them to
the groove in the door. Figure 1
above shows how to do this.
In Figure 2 we’ve laid the
rattan sheet in place over the
opening. Then embed the spline
with a wood dowel. Let the cane
dry overnight and use the dowel
to confirm the spline is still
seated, then trim away the excess
(Figure 3). Applying some hide
glue in the groove will lock the
spline and rattan in place.
The cabinet will glow nicely
sprayed with lacquer after a coat
of wipe-on oil dries. With that,
your cabinet is ready for home. W

Materials, Supplies & Cutting Diagram

A Top/Bottom (2) 3⁄ x 131⁄2 - 30 I Short Stretchers (2) 3⁄ x 21⁄ - 93⁄ • (4) #8 x 13⁄4" Fh Woodscrews
4 4 2 4
B Sides (2) 3⁄
4 x 131⁄2 - 32 J Door Panels (2) 3 ⁄4 x 113⁄4 - 273⁄4 • (1) 18" x 24" Open Weave Rattan Cane
C Hrz. Dividers (2) 3⁄ x 123⁄ - 291⁄ K Stiles (4) 3⁄ x 2 - 32 • (1) 3⁄8" x 20' Binding Cane
4 4 4 4
D Vert. Dividers (2) 3⁄ x 121⁄ - 83⁄ L Bottom Rails (2) 3⁄ x 3 - 13 • (2pr.) 110° Full Overlay Hinges
4 2 4 4
E Back (1) 1⁄ ply. - 291⁄ x 311⁄ M Top Rails (2) 3⁄ x 2 - 13 • (2) Door Handles
2 4 4 4
N Stop Blocks (2) 3⁄ x 11⁄ - 3 • (4) 1⁄2" Rare-Earth Magnets
F Feet (4) 21⁄2 x 21⁄2 - 4 4 4

G Legs (4) 21⁄2 x 21⁄2 - 5 • (6) #8 x 11⁄4” Fh Woodscrews • (4) 1⁄2" Magnet Cups
H Long Stretchers (2) 3⁄ x 21⁄ - 241⁄
4 2 2 • (4) #8 x 11⁄4” Pocket Screws • (4) 1⁄2" Magnet Washers
¾" x 8" - 96" White Oak (Four Boards @ 5.3 Bd. Ft. Each)

A B C

¾" x 8½" - 42" White Oak (Four Boards @ 2.5 Bd. Ft. Each) ¾" x 6" - 42" White Oak (Two Boards @ 1.8 Bd. Ft. Each)
L H
D J M N
I
K
ALSO NEEDED: One 48" x 48" Sheet of ½" Oak Plywood, One 2¾" x 2¾" -29"
Walnut Turning Blank, One 2¾" x 2¾" -29" White Oak Turning Blank

Woodsmith.com • 49
 SHOP
Project

50 • Woodsmith / No. 265 Written by: Phil Huber; Project Design: John Doyle
 French
Practical caddies organize bit sets. The caddies hooks onto to a
cleat system attached to the cabinet’s back wall.

Router  example,
Simple bit trays allow you to customize your bit storage. For
this one sorts bits by the shank size.

Cabinet
This slim case corrals your
routers, bits, and other gear.
The construction keeps it
approachable enough to build
in a weekend.

I t all starts with a purchase — a router. Then come the bits.

Oh my, the bits. Very quickly, you can see the trouble.
Where do you keep them? Don’t forget the other gear: spare
collets, wrenches, guide bushings ... the list goes on. What
you need is a place to keep it all. This cabinet is the answer.
COMPACT & SPACIOUS. This cabinet offers several storage solu-
tions that are meant to be customized. The upper compart-
ment works for routers and other bulky gear. The main cav-
ity is for the bits. Two options are shown in the upper photos.
There are also a couple drawers in here, too.
The construction is all plywood, and the joinery consists of
dadoes, rabbets, and grooves. So this one will go together easy.
WORKSURFACE. This cabinet has one other feature that puts
it over the top: the front drops down to create a temporary
worksurface (shown in the main photo). It’s the ideal place
to make bit changes, stage bits for upcoming steps, or do a
little router bit maintenance.  much
For all the storage space it contains, this cabinet doesn’t take up
space. It’s perfect for right above your router table.

Illustrations: Dirk Ver Steeg Woodsmith.com • 51

 UPPER SHELF
(81⁄8" x 24½")
B a. FRONT VIEW

E
BACK
(24½" x 36")
14¼ D
C

B b. #8 x 1½" Fh
woodscrew
26¾ E
A
NOTE: All parts ¼
are ¾" plywood A
TOP
VIEW

C
c. ½"-rad.
SIDE VIEW
D
DIVIDER
(73⁄8" x 3¼") A ¾

A
SIDE Dadoes routed in
(9¾" x 36") two passes
13⁄8
C
LOWER SHELF
(73⁄8" x 24½")
e. TOP SECTION VIEW
d. 21⁄8
E

Plywood CASEWORK ¾

The drawing above shows the ½"-dia.

parts that make up the cabinet’s
case. As you can see, it’s a sim-
ple affair. We used Baltic birch
plywood for this version. The
uniform plies have a clean look,
which means we didn’t feel that
edging is necessary. However,
feel free to use whatever sheet
material you prefer.
SIDES. The sides are the place to
begin. After sizing the panels,
joinery is the next box to check
on the list. Cut a rabbet along
the back edge (detail ‘b’). This
houses the cabinet back come
assembly time.
Take note that the back is made
of 3/4" plywood — same as the
other components. Sure it makes
the overall cabinet heavier, but
it also increases its strength and
allows for turning the back into
a mounting surface for storage.
SIDE
VIEW 5
4¼
½"-rad.
STOPPED DADOES. There are four
shelves that span the sides.
These are held in stopped
dadoes. On long parts like this,
a hand-held router is the way to
go to make the dadoes. The box
on the bottom of the next page
details one approach.
My main concern is making
sure the width of the dadoes
matches the thickness of the ply-
wood. It’s typical for plywood
to measure less than its nomi-
nal size. Which means a 3/4" bit
won’t cut it. The solution is to
use a smaller bit and rout each
dado in two passes.
B C ¼
1¼
A
You can see in details ‘c’ and
‘d’ that the upper dadoes are lon-
ger than the lower two. I chose
to leave the ends of the dadoes
rounded. The shelves will cover
the dadoes, so no one will ever
know. A radius on the outer
corners and pivot holes for the
drop-front (detail ‘d’) are all that
remains on the sides.
SHELVES. There isn’t much to do
for the four shelves besides cut-
ting them to size. The two lower
shelves require a centered dado
for a divider that separates the
drawer compartments, as you
can see in detail ‘a.’

52 • Woodsmith / No. 265

 The other detail is to cut a a. ¼ G c.
SIDE SECTION VIEW
notch at each end of the shelves.
This notch allows the shelf to fit
F
the dado in the case and conceal
the dado’s end.
CASE ASSEMBLY. Time to get the
SIDE F
glue and clamps out. I glued SECTION
the lower shelves and divider VIEW
1½
together, first. Then glue up the
sides and all the shelves. A few
b.
screws along the way reinforce
the joints. Then cut the back
G
panel to size, add glue, and 21⁄8
screw it into the rabbet.

DROP FRONT F
The drop-front door encloses the
lower part of the cabinet. When NOTE: Edging is ¼"-thick
3½ hardwood. Drop Front
open, it forms a small work space. is glued up from two
Making it begins with gluing up layers of ¾" plywood
SIDE SECTION VIEW
two layers of plywood and cut-
ting the blank to fit the opening.
The next part is a little trickier.
You need to drill a hole on each
side for a pivot pin. The location G
allows the drop front to rest flat
when open. Use the dimensions F G
in detail ‘b’ at right. I clamped DROP FRONT
the drop front in place and used (201⁄8" x 23¾")
the holes in the sides as a guide.
Leave the pivot pins extra-
long for now. This way you can ½"-dia. x 2½"
G Steel rod
remove them to fine-tune the fit EDGING 2
and operation of the door. (¾" x 59" rgh.)
Finish things off with a band F
Oval grip
of hardwood edging along the pull handle Hole drilled after
front and sides. Then add a han- gluing up drop front
dle and a magnetic catch, as you
can see in details ‘a’ and ‘c.’

ROUTING STOPPED DADOES

1 Width of slot a. b. END VIEW 2
matches
thickness Align mark
of plywood Dado with rabbet
jig shoulder
¼ A 7⁄8
Slot same length A ½" Dado
as dado NOTE: cleanout bit Flush
A Dado jig is with
made from FRONT SECTION VIEW rabbet
½" MDF

Custom Dado Jig. Cut a long slot in a wide piece of MDF. The width of the slot should Back it Up. Adjust the jig to rout
match the thickness of the plywood shelves. A dado cleanout bit follows the slot. the lower dadoes.

Woodsmith.com • 53
 DRAWER SIDE
(211⁄16" x 71⁄8")
I

H H

J
DRAWER BOTTOM
NOTE: Drawer fronts, backs, (67⁄8" x 111⁄16")
and sides are ½" plywood.
Drawer bottom is ¼" plywood

H
DRAWER FRONT/BACK
(211⁄16" x 11½")

c.
a. b. 1⁄16
½ FRONT
1⁄16 SECTION
1⁄8 VIEW
H I
J
I ¼
TOP J ¾"-rad. ¼
SECTION FRONT ¼
VIEW VIEW H

Organized & ENCLOSED

A pair of drawers and doors
complete the construction por-
tion of this cabinet. So let’s start
with the drawers in the lower
compartment.
These small drawers are meant
to hold the loose odds and ends
that tend to get lost or separated
from each other: guide bushings,
spare baseplate screws, cleaning
brushes, etc. In addition, I like
to keep extra screwdrivers and
Allen wrenches with my routing
gear so I don’t have to hunt for
those in the middle of a project.
SIMPLE DRAWER JOINERY. Since the
drawers are small, I scaled
down the material to suit. Here
we used 1/2" plywood. Small
drawers that don’t carry a lot
of weight means the joinery can
be streamlined, too. As you can
see in detail ‘a’ above, the sides
fit into deep rabbets cut into the
drawer fronts and backs.
The rabbets are cut at the
table saw with a wide dado
blade recessed in an auxiliary
fence attached to the rip fence.
Guide the workpiece with a
miter gauge fitted with its own
auxiliary fence. The miter gauge
fence backs up the cut and pre-
vents the edge of the drawer
parts from chipping as the blade
exits the workpiece.
BOTTOM GROOVES. The drawer
fronts, backs, and sides have a
groove to house the plywood
bottom. This is shown in detail
‘c.’ Measure the thickness of the
plywood. If it’s close to 1/4", you
may be able to swap out the
wide dado for just the two scor-
ing blades and cut the groove in
a single pass.
If the plywood is thinner, or
your scoring blades create a too-
wide kerf, you can make a tighter
fit by just using a standard blade.
You just need to make the groove
in two passes.
FINGER NOTCH. Instead of a hard-
ware pull, the drawer fronts
have a finger notch to open
them, as you can see in detail
‘b.’ The notch is formed using
a Forstner bit in the drill press.
I clamped the two drawer
fronts together and aligned the
centerpoint of the bit with the
seam between the fronts. This
step keeps the bit from tearing
out along the top edge of the
drawer as it drills.
You can glue up the drawer at
this point. Once the clamps are
on, double check the drawer box
is square. The glue offers plenty
of strength for these small draw-
ers, but you could drive a few
brads through the sides and into
the fronts and backs if that eases
your mind. The small nail holes
add a nice visual detail, too.

54 • Woodsmith / No. 265

 a.
TOP
SECTION
VIEW

Oval grip
pull handle 175° Fully K
concealed hinge K
13⁄16
1⁄16

b.
45⁄16
3
Hinge has
snap close
Pull feature
handle K
1½

K
1½ DOOR
(1113⁄16"x 14¼") SIDE
SECTION
VIEW

UPPER DOORS side (detail ‘a’) and along the bot- the opening pages and below
The final components are the tom edge. show some options we came up

two small doors for the upper
part of the cabinet. You can see
in the drawing above that each
door is made from a single piece
of plywood. No need to add
complexity at this late stage.
Take note that the grain direction
on the door runs up and down
(to match the drop front).
The doors are inset between
the sides and overlap the top
shelf. The dimensions shown
here worked for our version, but
you’ll need to base your doors on
your own construction. You’re
aiming for an even gap side to
GO
The doors are mounted on with. You can find the specifics
substantial-looking hinges.
That’s because I wanted the
doors to open completely out
at Woodsmith.com/265.
I say gather up all your router
accoutrements and see what Online
nline
2
of the way. No more bumped works for you. Send us your
Extras
heads if I can help it. The main ideas and we’ll share them.
drawing and detail ‘a’ show the A cabinet like this is a simple For the cabinet
organizer plans,
dimensions for installing the project. However, the bliss from go to:
hinges. I recommend using the not having to hunt for router Woodsmith.com/265
slotted holes in the hinges to start gear shows how great gifts often
with. You can dial in the door’s come in simple packages. W
fit before locking it in by driving
the remaining screws.
BUILT FOR OPTIONS. Now it’s the
(even more) fun part — custom-
izing the interior. The photos on

Materials & Supplies

A Sides (2) 3⁄ ply. - 93⁄ x 36 • (36) #8 x 11⁄2" Fh Woodscrews
4 4
B Upper Shelves (2) 3⁄ ply. - 81⁄ x 241⁄
4 8 2 • (2) 1⁄2"-dia. x 23⁄4" Steel Rods
C Lower Shelves (2) 3⁄ ply. - 73⁄ x 241⁄
4 8 2 • (3) 45⁄16" Pull Handles w/Screws
D Divider (1) 3⁄ ply. - 73⁄ x 31⁄ • (1) Magnetic Catch w/Screws
4 8 4
E Back (1) 3⁄ ply. - 241⁄ x 36 • (2 pr.) 175° Concealed Hinges
4 2
F Drop Front (1) 11⁄2 ply. - 223⁄4 x 201⁄8
G Edging (1) 1⁄ x 3⁄ - 59 rgh.
4 4
ALSO NEEDED: One 48" x 96" sheets
of 3⁄4" birch plywood. One 24" x 24"
H Dwr. Frts./Backs (4) 1⁄2 ply. - 211⁄16 x 111⁄2 sheet of 1⁄2" birch plywood. And one
I
J
Drawer Sides (4) 1⁄ ply. - 211⁄ x 71⁄
2 16
Drawer Bottoms (2) ⁄4 ply. - 67⁄8 x 111⁄16
1
8 24" x 24" sheet of 1⁄4" maple plywood
 ofA French cleat mounted to the back
the cabinet holds bit set organizers.
K Doors (2) 3⁄ ply. - 1113⁄ x 141⁄ Find the plans online.
4 16 4

Woodsmith.com • 55
HEIRLOOM
Project

56 • Woodsmith / No. 265 Written by: Rob Petrie; Project Design: Chris Fitch
 The tabletop is made from a plywood panel wrapped in
Hide-Away
mitered hardwood edging.

Gathering
Table
A knock-down table can
still be a high-quality
piece of furniture. Get rid
of that folding table in
favor of something more
sturdy and stylish.

T here are times when you just need

one more table. Whether you’re host-
ing family for a holiday or getting ready for a
weekly game of poker in the garage, it’s nice
to have something you can set up quick and
put away at the end of the day without has-
sle. When these occasions roll around, I often
find myself scrounging for the same flimsy,
white, folding table. It’s cheap, it’s plastic, it’s
certainly not flat, and it’s got a wobble that
drives me mad. But, it is necessary — or at
least it was.
 Large dowels register the top with the leg assemblies
and keeps the top centered/from sliding around.
The table you see pictured here is our alter-
native to the typical choice. The hardwood leg
assemblies keep the table steady while also
being able to slide together and apart easily.
The top is made from a plywood panel sur-
rounded by hardwood edging, keeping it at
a conveniently portable weight. As you’ll see
later on in the article, the design of the table
itself is simple, making this a great weekend
project to tackle before your next gather-
ing. Whether it’s for kids or cards, this table
knows how to be useful — and how to stay
out of the way when it’s not needed.

Illustrations: Becky Kralicek Woodsmith.com • 57

 LEG ASSEMBLY 1 LEG ASSEMBLY 2
LEG CORE A D NARROW SPACER SLOT. The stopped slot down
(6¾" x 35") (1" x 3½")
the center of each leg core allows
C C the assemblies to interlock.
C C
D Making this slot is simply rout-
ing a stopped groove. Begin by
D
laying out the slot on both sides
D
of each piece, then marking the
end of the slot to give yourself a
stopping point. Install a straight
B
NOTE: The B bit in your router table and
leg cores mark the position of the end of
are flipped
vertically the bit on your fence.
B on each
B assembly
Next comes routing. After set-
A
ting the fence, run the workpiece
through to the end of the slot to
make the first groove. Raise the
17½ D height of the bit and make the
cut again, stopping at the end of
D the slot. Keep at it until you’ve
C
D routed the full slot.
C
This slot matches the thickness
NOTE: All parts are made C
from 1"-thick hardwood
of the cores, but they’ll also need
C
WIDE SPACER to accommodate the paint later
(43⁄8" x 3½") on. Once both pieces have been
B
routed, sand through the slot to
a.
FRONT VIEW
Interlocking LEGS VERTICAL STRIPS
(15⁄8" x 35") give it that extra needed room.
Finally, square up the ends of the
C C While the top may be the most above, the assemblies feature slots with a chisel.
eye-catching feature of this mating slots, allowing them to VERTICALS. The vertical strips are
table, it’s the leg assemblies that interlock to form the table. long, straight pieces that pro-
17½ A make it what it is. The legs are CORE. The slotted leg cores are vide support for the outer edges
glued up from a series of spac- the central point of each assem- of the table. They’re simple, and
ers and a pair of interlocking core bly, making them an excellent once you’ve cut them to size set
pieces, all sandwiched together place to start working. Begin by them aside until the assembly.
by feet at the top and bottom of cutting both pieces to size, then SPACERS. The spacers are a simi-
the assemblies. As you can see head over to the router table. lar story to the vertical pieces.
For now simply cut all the spac-
ers to size and move on.
ROUTING THE SLOTS FEET & ASSEMBLY
Now for the last sets of pieces on
1 the leg assemblies. The feet sand-
wich together the leg assemblies,
Back edge of Slot end and their curves add a bit of
router bit visual variety. Once you’ve cut
the feet and foot spacers to size,
A
27⁄8 print out the patterns provided
1" straight bit for their curves (along with the
ones for the foot spacers). Attach
the patterns, then head over to
the band saw for some shaping.
PATTERN CUTTING. Cutting the feet
Straight Bit Slot Cutting. Mark out the stop point for your slot and spacers to shape is a simple
on both the router table fence and the workpiece. Make a series task, but a little care goes a long
of cuts until you rout through, stopping at the line each time. way. As in Figure 1 on the next
page, stay to the waste side

58 • Woodsmith / No. 265

 1½"‐dia. x ¾"
of the patterns, then sand to dowel
the final shape. To make sure SHORT FOOT
they’d be identical, I stuck them (3" x 171⁄8")
G G
together with double-sided tape
and sanded them at once.
ASSEMBLY. It’s time for the
F
assembly. First, glue up the leg G
assemblies as shown on the pre- E
vious page, using cauls to keep FOOT SPACER
(3½" x 63⁄8") F
the pieces flush. Once dry, glue E
F
on the feet and foot spacers as
well. Again, cauls help to keep
the edges flush here. Since wet
glue likes to make things slide
when under pressure, I found a.
SIDE SECTION VIEW
pin nails to be helpful in keep-
ing the pieces from shifting 1
while being clamped up.
E
REGISTRATION HOLES. Holes in the
upper curved spacers allow 3
dowels to fit in and register the
top when setting up the table
(detail ‘a’). The holes and dow-
els are pretty basic, but they’ll NOTE: Short feet
need to properly align with each are attached to
Leg Assembly 1.
other. My solution was an MDF Long feet are F
drilling guide. attached to Leg
Assembly 2
As shown in Figure 2 below, I G
began with a strip that spanned E
the length of the leg assemblies. G NOTE: Feet are
G made from ¾"-thick
I marked out the centerline, as hardwood. Spacers
well as where each hole would are made from
LONG FOOT 1"-thick hardwood
go. From there, I used the guide (3" x 177⁄8")
to bore both sets of holes. F

CURVED FEET DETAILS 3 TOP VIEW

1 Cut on waste 2 a. ½" MDF drilling guide

side of pattern,
then reach final NOTE: Drilling guide pivots
shape at spindle on nail at centerpoint
sander of leg assemblies

GO
2
F

Online
line
E F G Extras
G
¾" Forstner
bit NOTE: For patterns
Save drilling of the feet and
guide to make foot spacer,
holes in top panel go to:
Woodsmith.com/265
Cut to Shape. After attaching the patterns, cut Dowel Drilling Guide. Make a drilling guide at
the feet and spacers to shape, staying to the the drill press as a template for the dowel holes.
waste side of the patterns. This will help align them on the top panel.

Woodsmith.com • 59
 Waste EDGING a.
(5" x 377⁄16") I H
FIRST: Measure I
length of top
panel edge 1 I
I

TOP
VIEW
H
TOP PANEL
(36½" x 36½") 23!/4"-rad.
from center of top panel
to outside edging
SECOND:
36 Mark out the
1
THIRD: Glue edging 45° miter on
onto top panel the ends of
the edging
I
b. NOTE: Drill
I alignment holes
on underside of
NOTE: The top top ½" deep
panel is ¾" plywood.
Edging is ¾"-thick
hardwood
FOURTH: Attach trammel to ¾" Forstner bit
underside of top to scribe
arcs on edging

Topping off the TABLE Drilling guide

The tabletop is the last piece of
this puzzle, and as you can see
above, there’s not much to it —
just a plywood panel wrapped
with hardwood edging. The
panel and edging are held
together by tongues and grooves
while the ends butt together with
simple miters. Finally, some
shaping gives it a great look.
TOP PANEL. When selecting the
piece to make the top panel
from, it pays to be choosy and
find a panel that matches the
grain of the two edging pieces
beside it. After cutting it to size,
you’ll next need to form the
tongues (Figure 1 below).
Now it’s time for the drilling
guide again. First, use a straight
edge to mark corner-to-corner
across the panel to find the cen-
ter. From there, center the guide
as you did on the legs and bore
out the holes in the bottom of the
panel (detail ‘b’).
EDGING. There are a few things
to address on the edging pieces,
and while none of them are par-
ticularly difficult, they should

TENONS & CURVES

1 2 END a. 3
¼ VIEW
H

Auxiliary ¼
fence

I
a. END
VIEW
¼ ¼" slot- NOTE: Use
cutting bit 45° a long auxiliary
¼ fence to support
I edging

Rabbetted Panel. To add tongues to Grooved Edges. Before cutting the Mitered Ends. Using a miter gauge
the edges of the top panel, use a dado mitered ends, use a slot cutting bit at with a long auxiliary fence, miter the
blade buried in an auxiliary fence. the router table to make the grooves. ends of the edges at the table saw.

60 • Woodsmith / No. 265

 CURVE & ROUND
1
FIRST: Remove
waste by cutting
outside layout
lines
I
Cut then Rout. After attaching the edges to the panel, use a jig
saw to shape the curves, then rout the bullnose edge.
be handled in a certain order.
First, head to the router table to
cut the grooves for the panel’s
tongues using a 1⁄4" slot-cutting
bit (Figure 2, previous page).
Now to miter the ends. Set
your miter gauge up at 45° and
make these on the table saw (Fig-
ure 3). Sneak up on the final size,
dry fitting the pieces in place to
make sure they’ll be gap-free.
ASSEMBLY & SHAPING
Before doing any more work on
the edging, it’s time to glue up
the tabletop, as getting a good
glueup would only be more dif-
ficult later on. Once the edging
is glued onto the top panel, the
final shaping can be done.
CURVE & ROUND. To create the arcs
on the edging, I used a trammel
based on the dimensions in the
main drawing on the previous
page. After those were scribed, I
used a jig saw to shape the table-
top. The jig saw doesn’t leave
pretty edges, so you’ll need
to clean them up with a block
plane. They don’t need to be
perfect, just smooth enough for
a bearing to ride easily across.
A roundover bit is used to ease
the corners of the edging (Fig-
ure 1). Be sure the bearing rides
exactly on the centerline — if it’s
a.
3⁄8
I
½" roundover bit
H
SECOND: Rout
roundovers across  cores
The two leg assemblies are joined at the slots, with the
and feet forming tongues and grooves.
the edges
too high or too low you’ll be left
with a ridge in the center. A small
flat will be left behind, but a little
sanding will take care of it.
SETTING UP THE TABLE. Setting up the
table is an easy, two-step pro-
cess. First, slide the two leg
assemblies together along their
slots. Once they’re interlocked,
insert the dowels and set the top
in its place. All the pieces should
lock in firmly, and when it’s
time to put the table away, sim-
ply pull them back apart. W  disassembled
When not in use, the gathering table can be
and easily stowed away.
Materials, Supplies & Cutting Diagram
A Leg Cores (2) 1 x 63⁄4 - 35 F Long Feet (8) 3⁄ x 3 - 177⁄
4 8
B Vertical Strips (8) 1 x 15⁄8 - 35 G Short Feet (8) 3⁄ x 3 - 171⁄
4 8
C Wide Spacer (8) 1 x 43⁄8 - 31⁄2 H Top Panel (1) 3⁄ ply. - 361⁄ x 361⁄
4 2 2
D Narrow Spacer (8) 1 x 1 - 31⁄2 I Edging (4) 3⁄ x 5 - 377⁄
4 16
E Foot Spacer (8) 1 x 31⁄2 - 63⁄8 • (1) 3⁄4"-dia. x 6" Dowel
1" x 7½" - 72" Poplar (4.7 Bd. Ft.) Two Boards
E E C C C C
A
E E D D D D
1" x 7½" - 72" Poplar (4.7 Bd. Ft.)
B B ALSO NEEDED:
One 48" x 48" sheet
B B of ¾" plywood
1" x 7" - 72" Poplar (4.4 Bd. Ft.)
F F G G
F F G G
¾" x 5½" - 82" Cherry (3.2 Bd. Ft.) Two Boards
I I
Woodsmith.com • 61
 ROUTER
Workshop

Must-Have
Joinery Bits
¾"
straight bit
A big
one R outers require bits. I use this obvi-
ous statement because routers are
often (and rightly) recommended as an
essential tool for furniture making. With-
the joinery bits I’ve come to rely on in my
own projects along with some bits that I
know others around here use frequently.

out talking about the bits though new STRAIGHT BITS

woodworkers don’t have much to go
½" on. When you combine the range of bits
pattern bit
available and different types of wood-
working projects to make, selecting and
suggesting router bits becomes subjec-
tive and overwhelming.
THREE CATEGORIES. I divide router bits into
¼" three broad groups: joinery, profiling,
spiral bit and shaping. There’s some overlap, for
sure. However, this distinction helps
 bits
A small assortment of straight cutting
gives you plenty of options for
to narrow down the conversation with
other woodworkers about what kinds of
cutting smooth joinery details. bits to purchase. In this article, I’ll share
The bits most commonly connected to
joinery are straight-cutting bits. Often
used for fundamental operations like
grooves, dadoes, and rabbets. You can
see several styles in the left photo. They’re
first on my list due to their versatility.
Straight bits come in a range of sizes. You
need a few to start.
SPIRAL BIT. I use a router to create mor-
tises. In my projects, 1/4" is a common
size. I have a spiral upcut for efficient
chip removal in mortises up to 1" deep.
This bit also works for grooves.

62 • Woodsmith / No. 265 Written by: Phil Huber


PATTERN BIT. Next is a 1/2" pat-
tern bit. This is a two-for bit.
With a bearing on the shank,
you can put it to work for pat-
tern routing tasks, as well as the
everyday dadoes and grooves.
This is a good diameter for
making larger cuts by taking
multiple passes.
WIDE. A 3/4" straight bit is
good to have for joinery sized
for common hardwood stock
found in a lot of furniture plans.
It’s also large enough to cut rab-
bets effectively.
WIDER. Keep an eye out for a
larger straight bit. The specific
size doesn’t matter. (The one
Rabbeting
bit
 toA rabbeting bit set includes several bearings you can swap out
change the width of the rabbet you create. The larger bit
diameter contributes to a smoother cut.
shown is 11/4".) It’s not critical,
but it comes in handy when you
need to remove a lot of material.
PLYWOOD BITS. The two bits
shown in the upper right photo
are sized for cutting grooves
and dadoes to house 1/2" and
3/4" plywood. That means the
cut they form is slightly smaller
than the nominal dimension.
These have short cutting flutes
that are also angled downward.
Joinery is rarely cut deep, so
the short length means more
stability. By angling the flutes
downward, the bit prevents the
upper veneer on plywood from
tearing out.
Assorted
bearings
¾" mortising
bit
½" mortising
bit
 With
These bits are designed for undersized plywood.
down-cutting flutes, they leave a smoother
edge than ordinary straight bits.
RABBETING BIT
In the photos below, you’ll see an
upgrade bit. Related to straight
bits, a rabbeting bit does cut a
square profile. But it has a bearing
on the top that sets the rabbet’s
width. A bit that comes with mul-
tiple bearings is preferred.
While straight bits cut rabbets
well, a rabbeting bit has more
mass behind it. That results in a
cleaner, smoother cut from my
experience. The bearing means
you don’t need to set up a fence
or edge guide to work either at
the router table or handheld. This
allows you to form a rabbet on
the inside of a frame, for example.
Woodsmith.com • 63

SLOT CUTTER
The cutting action of a straight
bit gives you a smooth cut, but
requires multiple passes to make
deeper grooves. A slot cutter, on
the other hand, offers a more effi-
cient cutting action (like a mini
saw blade). The edge left behind
is still crisp and smooth.
In spite of the name, I use a
slot cutter for making grooves in
Rails are cut
with the aid of a
miter fence and clamp
64 • Woodsmith / No. 265
6
Slot bit
 range
Mix and match bearings and cutters to create a wide
of grooves. Some versions even allow the
cutters to stack for thicker cuts.
frame and panel assemblies. It’s
also ideal for reinforcing miter
joints with splines.
Like rabbeting bits, a good slot
cutter is one that comes as a set
with additional bearings, as you
can see in the upper right photo.
However the cutters are inter-
changeable. So you can swap
out cutters to make grooves in
several sizes.
The limiting factor is
that the location of groove
on the workpiece is deter-
mined by how far you
can safely extend the bit
(upper right photo). Past
about 11/2" you’ll need to
opt for a straight bit.
Stile and rail bits create
interlocking corner joints,
a profile and a groove to
house a panel.
Rail bit Stile bit
Bearing
diameter
determines
slot depth
STILE & RAIL BITS
I mentioned how a slot cutter can
be employed to make frame and
panel joinery. However if your
work includes a lot of door mak-
ing, you may want to consider a
stile and rail bit set, like the one
shown below.
Rather than a single bit, these
come in matched pairs. One bit
cuts a profiled groove on the
inside edge of all your door
parts. The other bit is used to
form a tongue and “reverse pro-
file” on the ends of the rails. The
lower left margin photo shows
what I’m talking about. It’s util-
ity and beauty at the same time.
You can find sets that cre-
ate a wide range of decorative
profiles from roundovers to bev-
eled “Shaker” style. The sets get
pricey. So start with one version
that will look good with other
cabinets in your home already.
UP TO YOU. This list isn’t meant to
be exhaustive or prescriptive. In
fact, there are a couple extra
bonus bits in the box on the next
page, but I believe a small assort-
ment of straight bits are a
common, flexible starting point.
Where you go from there
depends on the work you do —
or plan to do in the future. It’s a
smart strategy for good work. W
SPECIALTY JOINERY BITS
While sorting through my router
bits, I found a few more joinery
bits that are worth mentioning. I
Drawer
find them quite helpful, but they joint bit Box
aren’t the first ones on the list. slot bit
The drawer joint bit allows me
Dovetail
to create an interlocking joint on bit
drawer parts with just two setups.
The result is something that looks
like a locking rabbet joint you’d
make at the table saw.
The box slotting bit solves the
problem of visible drawer bottom
grooves in boxes that use either
dovetails or finger joints. It’s
designed to cut a stopped groove
in a dry fit assembly.
Dovetail bits are usually
associated with dovetail jigs, but
they can do so much more. I don’t
use a jig for drawers (see above).
But I do use a dovetail bit for Special Teams. These three bits expand the kinds of joinery you can tackle with your
making sliding dovetails or tapered router. The drawer joint bit mimics a locking rabbet. The box slotting bit is perfect for
sliding dovetails in projects. small box makers. A dovetail bit is good for more than half-blind dovetail jigs.

Cut the locking

Cut the profile in profile in the
the drawer front drawer side

Drawer Joint. With just one bit, you can create Box Slotting. Dry assemble your Dovetail. Use a dovetail bit to
an strong joint for drawers. The shape of the cuts box and run a groove around the create sliding dovetail joints in
even helps pull the parts into proper alignment inside edge. This keeps the groove cases and table base assemblies
during glueup. invisible for dovetails and box joints — not just drawers.

Woodsmith.com • 65
 Sources
Most of the materials and supplies you’ll need to build the projects are available
at hardware stores or home centers. For specific products or hard-to-find items,
take a look at the sources listed here. You’ll find each part number listed by the
company name. See the left margin for contact information.

MAIL MARBLE TOWER (p.28) HALL CABINET (p.42) subjective. To give the ply-
ORDER Once built, the marble tower • Table Legs.com wood its best look for photos,
SOURCES was finished with General Fin- 23⁄4" White Oak SQ2750X29-WO we sprayed it with two coats
ishes’ “Seal-a-Cell.” 23⁄4” Walnut . . SQ2750X29-WA of satin lacquer. A similar effect
Project supplies may be
ordered from the • Rockler can be achieved with wiping
following DRAFTING TABLE (p.34) 110° Hinges . . . . . . . . . . . 32894 varnish. I believe a good argu-
companies: • McMaster-Carr 3
⁄16" Cane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84608 ment for a “no-finish” finish can
1
Woodsmith Store Pivot Plate . . . . . . . . . . 89015K18 ⁄2" Rare-Earth Magnets . 30810 be made as well.
1
800-444-7527 Flanged Inserts . . . . . 92105A023 ⁄2" Magnet Cups . . . . . . 31668
store.woodsmith.com 1
18-8 Washers. . . . . . . 92141A031 ⁄2" Magnet Washers . . . . 31668 GATHERING TABLE (p.56)
Rockler 5
⁄16" Knob . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6890K2 • Lee Valley The legs of the gathering
800-279-4441
rockler.com
5
⁄16" Hex Head Screw . 92198A691 Feng Handle . . . . . . . . . 02W1343 table were painted with with
5
⁄16" Locknuts . . . . . . 91831A030 When ordering the “Open Benjamin Moore’s “Nocturnal
Amana Tool
800-445-0077 The 4’ x 10’ sheet of laminate Weave Cane” at Rockler.com Gray.” The top was finished
amanatool.com (“Denim,” Formica, vertical (MCONFIG814) you have to with tung oil and two coats of
amazon.com grade) came from Cabinetmaker put a value in the order field for spray lacquer.
Warehouse. After filling the brad pricing. The cabinet was rubbed
Benjamin Moore
855-724-6802 nail holes, the MDF base of the with General Finishes’ “Seal-a- JOINERY BITS (p.62)
benjaminmoore.com table was sealed with two coats Cell.” When dry, it was topped There are many sources for the
Cabinetmaker Warehouse of lacquer (sanded between with two coats of lacquer. joinery bits shown in the article.
1-866-264-3513 coats). Then sprayed with Woodline USA is a great source
cabinetmakerwarehouse.com
Rust-Oleums’ Forged Hammered ROUTER BIT CABINET (p.50) for high-quality bits.
General Finishes “Antque Pewter.” (Three cans • McMaster-Carr The undersized plywood bits
800-783-6050
generalfinishes.com were used.) The walnut parts Handles . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1661A4 are made by Freud.
were lovingly coated with Gen- • Rockler • Freud
Lee Valley
800-871-8158 eral Finishes’ “Seal-a-Cell.” 175° Hinges . . . . . . . . . . . 66613 15/32" Bit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-109
leevalley.com How (or even whether) you 23/32" Bit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-116

Minwax finish a shop project is pretty

800-523-9299
minwax.com

McMaster-Carr
630-833-0300
mcmaster.com ®

Table Legs.com
1-800-748-3480
tablelegs.com Valuable
V Video Tips from the
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800-225-1153
woodcraft.com Quick & Easy Printable Tips
Woodline USA from Woodsmith Magazine
800-472-6950
woodline.com Latest Video Plans from
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66 • Woodsmith / No. 265

Precision Cutting Simplified

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using these free plans.
The Trestle Bench embraces elegance and simplicity.
Its uncomplicated design highlights end grain with the use
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